150 years: Hexham Primary School

Learn about the history of Hexham Primary School, one of Victoria’s oldest public schools.

Key information

Address:
Hamilton Highway, Hexham, 3273
Opened:
2 December 1858
Closed:
1 January 1981
School type:
Primary
School number:
296
Other names:
Hexham School, Hexham Common School, Hexham State School

The history of Hexham Primary School

  • 1858

    Hexham opened as a national school in 1858.

    The first teacher was Mr Ivie Cooper. Cooper had opened a private school in a shepherd's hut in 1857.

    The bluestone school building was on a two-acre site west of the Hamilton Highway. 

  • 1860s

    Hexham became a common school in the 1860s and Cooper became the head teacher. 

  • 1877

    Enrolment reached 77 in 1877.

  • 1887

    Cooper remained head teacher until 1887, after almost 30 years of service. 

  • 1970s

    In the early 1970s, there were 30 students enrolled. 

  • 1981

    The school closed in 1981.

    Front view of the former Hexham State School bluestone building in 1986. Water tanks at the side of the former Hexham State School building in 1986.

     

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 info the PROV have on this school.

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