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< Early Canberra Government Schools

Brooks Creek [1884 - 1929]

The Brooks Creek School commenced as a provisional school in Jul 1884 and operated (with periods of closure) until 1935. It was located between the current Doust Road, Lake George, to the west and Brooks Creek to the east, approximately 500 m before the northern end of Doust Road. 'The school was conducted in a slab building erected by Peter Millyn (sic)' (Gillespie 1999, p. 126. The correct spelling of the builder's name is Millynn).

'Established in July 1884 with Miss Margaret McGrath as teacher, the school functioned at first on the eastern side of the creek very close to the later Federal Highway crossing, and in 1893 a perferable (sic) site on which a new school was promptly built was secured immediately across the creek' (Lea-Scarlett 1972, p. 70). This was a gold rush area in the 1860s and 1870s.

The name of the school is sometimes spelled 'Brook's Creek' (including on official parish maps), but this is wrong as the creek is named after Richard Brooks (c.1765–1833) who was the first recipient of a land grant in the Bungendore area.

Gillespie, LL 1999, Early education and schools in the Canberra region: a history of early education in the region, The Wizard Canberra Local History Series, L. Gillespie, Campbell, A.C.T.

Lea-Scarlett, EJ 1972, Gundaroo, Roebuck Society Publication no. 10, Roebuck Society, Canberra.

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NSW Government schools from 1848

< Early Canberra Government Schools

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