Clifton Hill Primary School

Clifton Hill Primary School
Location
Map
185 Gold Street, Clifton Hill, Victoria, Australia
Coordinates37°47′33″S 144°59′21″E / 37.79237°S 144.98914°E / -37.79237; 144.98914
Information
Former nameGold Street State School
School typePublic
MottoStriving for Excellence
Established1874
PrincipalMegan Smith
Years offeredPrep – Year 6
Enrollment681 (2023)
WebsiteOfficial site

Clifton Hill Primary School is a heritage-listed public co-educational primary school located in the Melbourne suburb of Clifton Hill, Victoria, Australia.[1][2][3] It is administered by the Victorian Department of Education, with an enrolment of 681 students and a teaching staff of 56, as of 2023.[2] The school serves students from Prep to Year 6.[2] It was added to the Victorian Heritage Register on 20 August 1982 for its historical and architectural significance to the state of Victoria.[3]

History

At the end of 1873, the minister of education at the time accepted a tender for the erection of a state school on Gold Street.[4] The school was designed by William Henry Ellerker and was originally going to be built with a capacity of 500 students in mind, however, Ellerker's design for a capacity of 1,000 students was used instead.[3]

It opened in 1874 under the name Gold Street State School.[3] By August of the very same year, the school had a student enrollment of 1,289, but only had an average attendance of 660.[5] This low attendance was believed to be due to the school's recent opening and that the school's average attendance would increase over time.[5] In 1876, the school had an enrollment of 1,091 students with an average attendance of 661.[6] One year later, in 1877, the student enrollment was 1,220 with an average attendance of 660 and by 1878 the student enrollment was 1,400 with an average attendance 823.[6] The average attendance exceeded 960 by the end of 1883.[7]

On 26 February 1877, a six-year-old student (James West) was beaten by his classmates just outside the school; he died from his injuries a few weeks later.[8][9] A police investigation ensued, with an autopsy of the body being conducted.[10] The conduct of the headmaster's response surrounding the matter was also examined.[11][12] By June 1877, the perpetrator was not yet identified, despite there being multiple witnesses.[13] The investigation was described as "bungled" with the police taking limited notice of the incident and the school dismissing the matter.[13] It was feared that the case would be forgotten, and it was suggested that it would be a great misfortune if the Education Department did not take further action to identify the culprit.[13]

In 1878, a student climbed the school building and was unable to come down; he was ultimately saved but received the cane for endangering his life.[14]

The opening of a post office in Clifton Hill was celebrated with a ball and supper at the school in 1883.[15]

Demographics

In 2023, the school had a student enrollment of 681 with 56 teachers (47 full-time equivalent) and 14 non-teaching staff (7.6 full-time equivalent). Female enrollments consisted of 361 students and Male enrollments consisted of 320 students; Indigenous enrollments accounted for a total of 1% and 25% of students had a language background other than English.[2]

Notable alumni

See also

References

  1. ^ "Clifton Hill Primary School". Australian Schools Directory. Archived from the original on 10 November 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d "ACARA Data Access Program – School Profile 2023". Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Archived from the original on 1 May 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d "Clifton Primary School (H1621)". Heritage Victoria. Archived from the original on 10 November 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  4. ^ "Gold-Street State School". The Age. 14 February 1874. p. 8. Retrieved 10 November 2024 – via Trove.
  5. ^ a b "The Compulsory Clause of the Education Act - Gold-Street State School". The Age. 15 August 1874. p. 5. Retrieved 12 November 2024 – via Trove.
  6. ^ a b "Gold-Street State School". The Mercury and Weekly Courier. 30 November 1878. p. 3. Retrieved 12 November 2024 – via Trove.
  7. ^ "Monetary and Commercial Intelligence". The Argus. 5 December 1883. p. 7. Retrieved 19 November 2024 – via Trove.
  8. ^ "The Gold-Street School Case". The Age. 29 May 1877. p. 3. Retrieved 12 November 2024 – via Trove.
  9. ^ "Inquest on a Schoolboy". The Herald. 4 June 1877. p. 3. Retrieved 12 November 2024 – via Trove.
  10. ^ "Death of a School Boy from Violence". The Argus. 5 June 1877. p. 7. Retrieved 12 November 2024 – via Trove.
  11. ^ "The Town". The Leader. 9 June 1877. p. 20. Retrieved 12 November 2024 – via Trove.
  12. ^ "Town News". The Weekly Times. 9 June 1877. p. 14. Retrieved 12 November 2024 – via Trove.
  13. ^ a b c "The Death of the Lad James West". The Herald. 6 June 1877. p. 3. Retrieved 12 November 2024 – via Trove.
  14. ^ "Notes and Comments. - 6/12/78". The Mercury and Weekly Courier. 7 December 1878. p. 3. Retrieved 12 November 2024 – via Trove.
  15. ^ "The Clifton Hill Post Office". The Mercury and Weekly Courier. 10 November 1883. p. 2. Retrieved 19 November 2024 – via Trove.
  16. ^ Latimore, Jack (23 April 2022). "Lidia Thorpe, the Greens senator who annoys the establishment". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 2 August 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2024.

Further reading

  • Gold Street State School 1874-1974. Clifton Hill Primary School. 1974. — via State Library of Victoria
  • Vincent, Alison (2001). A school for one thousand scholars: a history of school number 1360, Clifton Hill Primary School, Gold Street, Clifton Hill 1874-2000. Clifton Hill Primary School. ISBN 0957980302. — via State Library of Victoria