150 years: Clayton North Primary School

Learn about the history of Clayton North Primary School, one of Victoria's oldest public schools.

Key information

Address:
1714 Dandenong Road, Clayton, 3168
Opened:
1 January 1865
School type:
Primary
School number:
734
Other names:
Mulgrave Common School, Mulgrave State School, Clayton's Road State School, Clayton State School

The history of Clayton North Primary School

  • 1865

    The school opened as a common school in 1865. It was known as Mulgrave Common School at the time. The first head teacher was Charles Nelson and there were 50 students enrolled. 

  • 1870s

    The school became a state school at some stage between 1873 and 1878. A new school building opened in 1875.

  • 1889

    The name of the school changed to Clayton Road State School in 1889.

  • 1894

    The school became an adjunct of Oakleigh State School (No. 1601).

  • 1901

    The name of the school changed again to Clayton State School in 1901. Grades 1, 2 and 3 remained at Clayton's Road while grades 4, 5, and 6 attended other schools in the area.

  • 1906

    Clayton North became a separate school again. The head teacher at the time was E. Warriner.

  • 1909

    Two new brick classrooms opened in 1909.

  • 1954

    The name of the school was changed to Clayton North State School in 1954. A new school building on a new site opened the same year on Brown's Road.

  • 1965

    The school commemorated its 100th anniversary in 1965. The event was attended by 1,700 people many being ex-students. 

  • 1970s

    The school was renamed Clayton North Primary School in 1970.

    The 1970s were a time of expansion. A dedicated art room was established and the school oval had a major reconstruction. 

  • 1981

    Three out of 4 pupils were from migrant families and comprised of 30 different languages including Chinese, Italian, Greek and Indian. English as Second Language training was undertaken by staff.

  • 1990

    The school marked its 125th anniversary in 1990. The school established a green and yellow uniform the same year. 

  • 2000

    A 3-stage redevelopment, including a building upgrade, started in 2000. 

  • 2006

    A breakfast club was established in 2006.

  • 2007

    The school celebrated its first Harmony Day in 2007.

  • 2009

    The school's multipurpose room was refurbished in 2009.

  • 2010

    A multicultural school garden was established in 2010. 

  • 2011

    A hen house was built in 2011. 

  • 2012

    The school was upgraded and a BER building was established. 

    The school changed its school uniform to an orange shirt to symbolise harmony. The new logo featured multicultural hanrds representing caring and diverse cultures. 

  • 2015

    The school marked its 150th anniversary in 2015. 

  • 2022

    Clayton North Primary school is still in operation. 

Find more interesting facts about this school

The Public Record Office Victoria (PROV) is the archive of Victoria's State and local government. They look after some of our oldest school records, and we can use these records to help us understand what school life used to be like.

Now it's your turn to do some detective work. Take a look to see what information they have on this school.

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