Woodanilling school

Education of their children was always important to the early settlers of all parts of Western Australia and the Woodanilling district was no different. There were several schools in the area. Some closed only to reopen later. Some where moved as the number of children changed and new areas opened.

Woodanilling Primary School – 2002
Back Row (left to right): Mrs Lola Carter (Acting Principal), Miss Nerida Barralet (Teacher), Mrs Jodie Baxter (Part-Time Teacher’s Aide), Mrs Norma White (Teacher’s Aide).
Middle Row: Stuart Garstone (year 2), Vaughan Baker (year 2), Kyle Steere (year 2), Richard Beermier (year 3).
Front Row: Daniel Kippin (year 2), Alissa Dowdell (year 2), Madeleine Carter (kindergarten), Hayden Baker (kindergarten), Tyson Sherwood (pre-primary), Tayla Baxter (year one), Bradley Garstone (year 3).
Absent: Mrs Karen Thomson (Registrar).

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WOODANILLING SCHOOL

Schooling in Woodanilling first commenced in the Agricultural Hall on 15th September 1902 with an enrollment of 13 children. A timber school house was built and classes commenced in it in 1906.

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Woodanilling Primary School is located in the Great Southern Region of Western Australia, 260kms south of Perth and caters for students from Kindergarten to Year 4. The school services the families that live in the town site of Woodanilling as well as the area west between the Great Southern and Albany Highways. Students living north of Boyerine and south of Moojebing are also included in the catchment area.

Schooling in Woodanilling first commenced in the Agricultural Hall on 15th September 1902 with an enrollment of 13 children. A timber school house was built and classes commenced in it in 1906. As student numbers increased, a second classroom was built in 1912 whereas numbers peeked at approximately 80 students. On the 2nd July 1949, the school burnt down. Schooling was held in the hall until the new school was completed in 1951. The new school built was a one room, one teacher school as it was decided to send the older children to schools in Katanning.

Woodanilling Primary School currently has 11 students in attendance. Bus services are utilised for students to travel to and from school daily.

The school staff comprises of one full time teacher and two part time education assistants. A level 3 Principal supports the students teaching and learning by undertaking a teaching load. Other members of staff in part time capacities include a gardener, cleaner, registrar and bus warden. Italian is also offered to students each week by a specialist teacher and a chaplain visits the school on a fortnightly basis. Students are catered for at their level of need by the expertise and collaborative practices of the committed and passionate staff.

Community involvement and support is a strength of Woodanilling Primary School; enjoying the benefits of an active P&C and School Council, parent volunteers for reading roster, breakfast club and after school programs and a collaborative Town Shire.

Collaborative partnerships also exist between inter agencies and services including Speech and Occupational Therapists from the Great Southern Health Service and Community Health, and a School Psychologist and visiting teacher from the School of Special Educational Needs are accessed on a request basis.

Although Literacy and Numeracy are of primary focus, students engage in integrated learning experiences across Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, The Arts, Technologies and Health and Physical Education learning areas.

Students enjoy a safe and nurturing learning environment both in and outside the classroom. Classrooms have interactive whiteboards, IPads and desktop computers for student use, the library is well resourced and a kitchen area adds to teaching and learning opportunities available to students. Outdoors, extensive play equipment, play spaces and a bike track are surrounded by natural bush and native plants. A sustainable vegetable garden is in place as well as an edible garden for students to sample and cook with.

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BOYERINE SCHOOL

Little remains of the site which is located on a small reserve north of and adjoining Watson Road although a plaque near the road verge marks the site.

When the Westwood school closed in March 1928, settlers near Boyerine saw the opportunity to press the Education Department to relocate that building. Prior to the Westwood building being shifted to near Boyerine, schooling in that area for a time took place in a two roomed cottage belonging to Doug Wilson. When Wilson sold the block, on which the cottage stood, to Martin, the building was no longer available.

Local settlers, Bert Watson, Bill Home, Milo Kealley and Paul Ramm shifted the Westwood school to a position about one mile west of Boyerine. Charlie Kealley (Milo’s son) later recalled that “the erection took some time as no one seemed to be in a hurry to finish the job, content to take their time.” The furniture had already been in use in Doug
Wilson’s cottage after being shifted from Westwood and now was brought back to the old building.

However, once again the building was to have an uncertain future. After opening for the 1929 school year with teacher Marjorie Shackley, it closed for short periods until its final closure in 1940 after the numbers again fell. Miss Marion Putland was the final teacher.

The school site within the surveyed Boyerine townsite was never used for this purpose, apparently being used as a camping area, when the settlers led by M. Kealley attempted to have the Westwood building shifted to Boyerine.

The school stood disused on the site for many years until the 1970’s when it was acquired by the Wagin Historical Society and relocated to the Historical Village. This being the fifth site – Dowering Sites 1 & 2 before Westwood and Boyerine.

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WESTWOOD SCHOOL

The Dowlering School, was originally built on the site reserved on Kojonup Location 1507 in May 1912 but after a protest by the Perfect and Douglas families, it was shifted to this site. Here it was officially opened by Eva Sheridan on April 13, 1913.

The original application in 1910 for a school on the Beaufort contained the names of nine families. Of these Cornwall, George, Church and Carder had no children and another two families – Eatte’s (four children) and Sullivan (1), also lived west of the Albany Road and it is doubtful if they ever attended the Dowlering School. However, the Perfect’s (two children), Cavanagh’s (five), Douglas’ (five) and Rendell’s (four) provided enough numbers for a school to be built.

School sites were very flexible and as, the children grew too old or families like Rendell left, the building was quickly shifted to another area of need. By 1918 numbers here had diminished with two of the former pupils E.A. (Gus) Cavanagh and Norman Perfect, now grown men at the war front, the building was shifted first to Westwood and then to Boyerine and currently is at the Wagin Historical Village.

One of the problems of selecting land in the outer areas was of schooling for children. The Douglas families were in this situation. Some of the children stayed with relations during the week so as to attend school. Jean Douglas and her twin brothers, Ken and Keith, and their cousin, Fred, attended Dowlering School from Harry Douglas’ house. This must have been a successful arrangement as young Fred Douglas received a certificate for regular attendance in 1914.

E.C. Leggoe’s family had lived in Woodanilling to attend the local school. However, in 1917 he applied to have the Dowlering School shifted to the 14 mile hill on Robinson Road. This application was approved and when tenders were called to remove the school a protest by parents of children already going to the Dowlering School succeeded in halting action. They reasoned that the Leggoe children were already attending Woodanilling School and were not intending to live at Kunmallup until September 1917 when the alterations to the homestead would be completed.

When numbers dropped at the Dowlering School and the need arose close by in 1918, the Dowlering School building and its effects were moved by the contractor J.H. Brown for 124 pounds to Westwood. When the original application was made by the families in the area for a school the corner of Johnston and Robinson Road was preferred. This was not approved, but the suggested site at the junction of Douglas Road and Robinson Road was agreed upon.

Settlers with children making the application were G.H. Ward, Fred Mader, August Terlich, Prosser, William Mader, Ralston and August Mader. The school was ready for the commencement of the 1919 school year under Miss Mary Foley. However, the building was only to have a short respite before it was on the move again – this time to Boyerine – after the school at Westwood was closed in March 1928.

The last teacher at Westwood was Dorothy Lavis who had succeeded Marjorie Wilkinson, Miss Lavis resigned at Easter to get married and with only seven or eight pupils another teacher was not appointed. These children were transferred to either the Woodanilling or Kenmare schools.

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CARTMETICUP SCHOOL

The site is bounded by the original block selections of W.H. Hobart (N & S), G. I. Spencer (N & E), M.J. Bradbury (SE) and R.E .Black (West), being on the adjoining west block to where G.I. Spencer built his homestead.

The arrival of Joseph Patterson with his five children had added to the already urgent need for a school in the district. Following representation to the Government, a school was erected here a mile east of where the Cartmeticup Church was to be built and opened on 1 August, 1901. Twenty nine pupils were enrolled with children representing the Bradbury, Harvey, Lee, White, W.G. & J.R. Patterson’s, Kealley, Darby and Shackley families attending.

The first teacher was Elizabeth Darby, elder daughter of the local family, who walked to school each day with her younger brothers and sister. She later married the local Baptist minister, Pastor Woods and was succeeded at Cartmeticup School in turn by Mrs Hardy, Mrs Hanrahan, Misses Maley, Sweeney, Smith, Higgins, Boan and Wilson.

The opening of the school by the Katanning Resident Magistrate Dr. Victor Black, was a grand occasion for the Cartmeticup folk. Never since that area had known European settlement had so many gathered together. Over 150 people including members of the Local Board of Education (Mrs Tom Haddleton and Mr G.A. Beeck were two of the members) were present for the opening and the concert and dance that followed in the schoolroom that evening.

In 1926 with members dwindling the building was shifted about ten kms to the north to cater for the larger number of children in that area.

Anniversary March 1909 – Cartmeticup School

It was originally situated on the north side of Cronin Road. About 50 Metres north from Cronin Road are the white stone remnants of the chimney which were left when the school building was shifted. The building faced west (just north of the line of pine trees) and a granite border marks one of the garden beds. At the rear are posts which carried a gate for the back entrance.

Acacia acuminata (jam) trees covered the area after schooling finished. In recent years these have been cut for fence posts. A row of pine, eucalyptus and kurrajong (one) surround the site, which was marked and described with a plaque in 1988.

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KENMARE SCHOOL

Situated west of Woodanilling off the Robinson Road, Kenmare Hall was an important hub for social interaction, education and religious activities. The building was a community project organised by Frank Carter and Oscar Lines, two settlers in the vicinity, both farming properties bordering Robinson Road. The Minister for Education, H.D. Colebatch, officially opened the Kenmare Hall in late September 1921. Continue reading

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CAN YOU HELP?

Do you have any class photos of the Woodanilling Primary School?
Do you have any memories of your time at the school?
If so, I would love to hear from you.
I can be contacted via email at admin@lostkatanning.au
or you can complete and submit the form below:

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