Purnim Primary School (School No 1016; previously known as Purnim Common School 1871 – c.1875; Purnim State School c.1875 – c.1970)

Full description

Note: These historical records contain words, descriptions and information that may be insensitive or inappropriate and that may be upsetting.

Purnim Primary School (School No. 1016) (VA 3910) was a co-educational primary school which first opened as Purnim Common School in 1871. Purnim is a small country township located approximately twenty kilometres north of Warrnambool.

The school first operated out of temporary accommodation, moving to a new site on Mortlake Road in 1876. A building was planned to accommodate 43 pupils.

Between 1872 and 1875, the school changed its name to Purnim State School. This was due to the Education Act (Vic) 1872, which established the Victorian Education Department (VA 714) and a subsequent change to school naming conventions.

A residence was built in 1876 and the schoolhouse was extended to accommodate an additional 20 students in 1881. In 1910, after the residence had been unoccupied by several Head Teachers, the residence was leased to a local family for approximately two years. Between 1912 and 1916, the teachers’ residence was condemned and sold, and a shelter shed was built using the proceeds.  

The school experienced fluctuations in attendance over the years, impacted by various factors such as legislative changes that affected the nearby Framlingham Aboriginal Community including the forced removal of Aboriginal children and the intermittent closing and reopening of the nearby Catholic school, St. Marcellus School.

Between 1952 and 1953, the old school building was sold for removal, and it is likely a building each from Paaratte (School No. 4493) and Lower Heytesbury (School No. 4489) schools were relocated to Purnim grounds to be used as extra classrooms.

In August 1967, the school received permission to establish a plantation as part of a school endowment program. 250 trees were planted in an unused portion of the school grounds at the rear of the school. It is not clear if or when the plantation was sold. 

In 1970, there was a statewide decision to change the use of the term ‘State School’ to refer to all primary, secondary and technical schools instead of just primary schools, and for all primary schools to use ‘Primary School’ in the name. Accordingly, it was likely at this time that the school name was changed to Purnim Primary School. Victoria Gazette notices from the period reflect this change.

Purnim Primary School closed permanently in 1993 and the site was later sold to private interests. The 1990s marked a significant era of transformation in education throughout Victoria, as the Jeff Kennett government initiated numerous school closures and mergers across the state.