Rediscovering Ginninderra:
Weetangera Public School
By 1881 there were about twenty-seven small farms in the Weetangera area, with 110 dwellings and a population of 554, approximately half the size of Queanbeyan.
These early settlers first approached the Council of Education in Sydney for a school in 1875, requesting establishment of a half-time school at Weetangera. A school building had been constructed by the parents and permission was granted – for a Provisional School in 1875.
The school room measured sixteen by twelve feet, was made from blue gum and box posts, slab walls, stringy bark flooring and a shingled roof. Parents provided desks and benches, and were prepared to make a table and chair for the teacher.
Despite the enrolment of twenty-seven children, the local inspector was realistic about the future prospects for the school, predicting that in the long term the attendance would be closer to fifteen. 'The parents are all small farmers and as a class, their children attend school very irregularly'
The school was located on land that is now a small park between Smith Street and Belconnen Way in Weetangera.
Related Photos
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References
- Much greater detail can be found at the entry for Weetangera on our database of early Canberra schools
- Clough, M. Spilt Milk. A history of Weetangera School 1875-2004. Weetangera School, Canberra, 2004.