Tharwa Primary School

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
Tharwa, Australian Capital Territory

2620

Australia
Coordinates35°30′32″S 149°04′04″E
Information
TypePrimary school
Established1899 (1899)
Closed2006 (2006)
Websitewww.tharwaps.act.edu.au (inactive)

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

References
  1. Caldwell, Brian, Re-imagining educational leadership, ACER press, Camberwell, Victoria, Australia, page 98
  2. Exploring the ACT and South East NSW, J Kay Donald, Kangaroo Press, 1985, p48
  3. "Tharwa News", The Canberra Times, 12 March 1931, p3
  4. Senator Kate Ellis, House of Representatives Hansard, 9 August 1999 Archived 12 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  5. '"The Tharwa Schools," The Queanbeyan Age, 28 October 1899, p2
  6. Barr, Andrew, Minister for Education and Training, ACT Legislative Assembly, notice dated 13 December 2006 Archived 2 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ABC Canberra, 16 December 2006
  8. savetharwaschool.com Archived 28 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ABC Canberra, 25 October 2009 Archived 15 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine

Further reading
  • Higgins, Matthew, A Century of Learning: Tharwa Primary School 1899-1999, published by Tharwa Primary School, 1999 ISBN 0-646-37705-1
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