Patho Primary School (School No. 1994, previously known as Gunbower Creek State School (1877 – 1888), Patho State School (1888 – c.1970)

Full description

Patho Primary School (School No. 1994, previously known as Gunbower Creek State School (1877 – 1888), Patho State School (1888 – c.1970) was a coeducational government school located in Gunbower Creek, North-West of Echuca.

The school was first opened by Mr John Maher on 13th of August 1877, in the leased Union Chapel (also known as the Methodist Church) on Patho Creek. Maher commenced the school without departmental authority or renumeration and taught over 40 students upon opening. A departmental officer later visited the school and recommended it to be taken over by the Education Department (VA 714), which was done by 1878.

On 10 January 1881, the school (then known as Gunbower Creek State School) moved to a new timber building with teacher’s quarters built adjacent to the Chapel grounds.

The name of the school was changed to Patho in 1888, due to long-standing confusion between it and Gunbower Creek (School No. 1790), though this school had closed in December 1877.

In 1944 tentative plans were made to establish an area school with Gunbower Island, Welton, and Torrumbarry, as the district didn’t have enough pupils for a consolidated school. This plan was not realised.

The school had a small enrolment size, with a net enrolment of only 17 in 1949, and an average attendance of 12. Its name likely changed to Patho Primary School in 1970, when there was a statewide decision to broaden the use of the term ‘State School’ to include all government schools, rather than exclusively primary-level ones.

By April 1979 the school was no longer staffed, presumably not having had students attending. It was officially closed on the 24th of April the following year.

The school building was shifted to Echuca Primary School (No. 208). The school site was later sold to Vebsell Investments Pty. Ltd. in 1987.

The school building was later relocated to Torrumbarry circa 2019 - 2023 to serve as a meeting and resource room for the Torrumbarry Community Club.