Beelbangera Public School
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Beelbangera Public School Strive For The Best
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Beelbangera Public School History The Beelbangera Provisional School was opened in May 1922 on a Red Cross Farm Colony, which was approximately one kilometre from the Beelbangera Railway Station. The building was not only used for educational purposes but also served as a Recreation Hall/Cinema. The first teacher was Mr Francis Keating, who was appointed in May 1922 with the school having an enrolment of twenty two pupils. Miss Mona O’Meara and Mr William Hester taught at the school for a short term. Due to the increasing population of the district, an application for a permanent school was submitted and approved on 26th May 1922, by Mr S H Smith, then Under Secretary. The new school was described as being a one-roomed building with a verandah on one side, together with a hat room and desks for forty pupils. Mr Chambers was the teacher in charge when the new school opened with an enrolment of 52 pupils on 5th June, 1925. In May 1930, an application was made for the provision of a shelter shed. The application was endorsed by the Board of Health doctor at the time, who considered that the shelter shed was an urgent necessity. At the time of this application there were no shade trees available and the summer temperatures were high. Later as a result of an accommodation crisis, this shed was used as a classroom ( summer and winter). Some recollections state that makeshift desks and seating were made of planks suspended on fruit cases and boxes for seats. This ‘shelter shed’ temporary classroom continued until 1935. In June 1935 a contract was awarded to construct an additional classroom plus renovate the existing room. In 1931 a diphtheria epidemic struck the Beelbangera area, two school pupils died as a result of the illness. The teacher at the time, Mr Dutton and his wife were both stricken with diphtheria during the epidemic. The school was closed for some time as a result. Memorial trees were planted at the entrance of the school as a lasting reminder of the children who had died during the epidemic. In September 1932 due to increased enrolment, application was made for an assistant teacher – request was denied as an enrolment of forty-six does not warrant the appointment of an assistant. A contract to construct the school residence was awarded in September 1933. It was completed in May 1934, on a site adjacent to the school. Between 1926 – 1934 the Shipton children were enrolled at the school. Mr Shipton was concerned that the school was without a bell and he offered to procure a bell and thought that a ‘Naval Watch Bell’ would make both an appropriate and interesting school bell. Mr Shipton wrote to the Garden Island Dockyard enquiring about the availability of a bell, from a vessel that had been withdrawn from service. A ‘Watch Bell’ was not available but the dockyard would keep his request in mind when something came up. A short time later, Mr Shipton was notified that a ‘Bell’ was on the way. An engine room telegraph bell from the H.M.A.S. Sydney was sent and arrived by rail and was installed at the school in 1933. A decrease in enrolments was evident in the period from 1945-1950. Average school enrolment at that time was 30 pupils. In 1952 many Italian families settled in this area – school enrolment quickly doubled. By 1958 only six year olds were enrolled due to lack of space. In that year the third classroom, Principal’s office and store room were added, enrolment had reached 107. From peak enrolment in 1958 there was a decline in enrolments due to changing circumstances in the community. In 1965 the P & C wrote to the Shire Engineer regarding the formation of a footpath from the school to the shop, also around the culvert to the school grounds. Correspondence from the Shire in August 1965 advised that the Water Resource Commission would do the footpath and bridge over the drainage channel from the school gate to the shop. Half of the footpath requested by the P & C in 1965 was cemented by the Griffith Shire Council in 1987. The P & C in 1964 decided to approach the Department of Education about placing ceiling fans in the classrooms. They were advised that permission could not be granted, the reason – ‘regulations require that ceiling fans must be no less than so many feet from the ceiling and the height our our school ceilings would not allow this’. Two years later the P & C received permission to install the fans. In 1969 the P & C moved that a school badge be ordered. The design to be a gold waterwheel on a maroon background these being the school colours. During the late 1990’s the Department of Education re- zoned the boundaries of the Griffith school district. Our school’s zone changed so that it not only took in the Beelbangera village and rural area but also part of the Collina subdivision. From 2000 to present day the school has experienced a steady growth in student enrolments. The school has grown from two classrooms to seven classrooms. |
Above: The Shipton Family
The new school gates built in 1972
Lower Division 1951
Upper Division 1951 |
 The bell from the H.M.A.S. Sydney |
