VPRS 3851 Building Files: Consolidated Schools

Full description

The process of consolidation of small rural schools in Victoria apparently commenced in the 1940's. Consolidated Schools were central rural schools to which the children from the surrounding districts were conveyed. Departmental policy on consolidation emerged clearly by 1948. A consolidated school would not be established in a district unless a minimum of 200 pupils could be assured. By 1948 there were four consolidated schools. By 1958 thirty two consolidated schools had opened. The last consolidated school was opened at Corryong in 1958.

This series comprises files containing papers and correspondence relating to the construction, alteration and maintenance of consolidated school buildings. In some cases files concerning school residences were maintained with the building files in this series. These are identified in the Records Description List by the letter R.

The content of the files changed significantly in circa 1956. To this date the files contained papers pertaining to all aspects of school construction and maintenance. From circa 1956 the only papers added to the files in this series were documents pertaining to minor works and routine maintenance of primary school buildings.

Although the series commenced in 1944 when the first consolidated school was established, the contents of the files date from 1932. Pre-1944 papers relate to primary school buildings prior to the school being established as a consolidated school. The papers would have once belonged to VPRS 795 Building files: Primary Schools.