150 years: Pleasant Street Primary School (Ballarat)

Learn about the history of Pleasant Street Primary School (Ballarat), one of Victoria's oldest public schools.

Key information

Address:
101 Pleasant Street North, Lake Wendouree, 3350
Opened:
15 February 1858
School type:
Primary
School number:
695
Other names:
St Peter's, Yuille's Swamp School, Yuille's Swamp, South Ballarat, Sturt St, Ballarat Pleasant Street State School

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The history of Pleasant Street Primary School (Ballarat)

  • 1858

    The school was opened by the Church of England in 1858. It was called St Peter's, Yuille Swamp school when it opened. The first head teacher was Catherine Williams and 32 children were enrolled. 
     

  • 1861

    A school building was built in 1861 on Pleasant Street. 

  • 1862

     The school became a common school in 1862. 

  • 1874

     The school became a state school in 1874. Thomas Holding was head teacher at the time.

  • 1878

    Land from the neighbouring reserve was purchased in 1878 and added to the school grounds.

  • 1890s

    Alfredton State School (No. 1091) became an adjunct of Pleasant Street in the 1890s. 

  • 1915

    A swimming pool opened in 1915 and the students were taught to swim. The school became a higher elementary school in 1915. It was one of the first in Victoria. This meant that secondary classes for older students were added, like secondary schools today. 
     

  • 1919

    The school building was used as an ‘Auxiliary Hospital because of the pneumonic influenza outbreak'. Classes were held in various other places during this time. 
     

  • 1939

    Pleasant Street was a Central School in up until 1939. This meant it held classes for the first two years of the secondary classes. The exact year it became a central school is unknown. 
     

  • 1940

    160 students from Ballarat High School (No. 7540) used rooms in the school from 1940. It was known as ‘the branch'. 
     

  • 1950s to 1960s

    Ballarat High School stopped using the school for classes in 1953. A special school took over using the branch's rooms until 1963. Multiple renovations were completed between 1957 and 1969. The school commemorated its 100th anniversary in 1958. 
     

  • 1970

    The school was renamed Pleasant Street Primary School in 1970.

  • 2022

    Pleasant Street Primary School is still in operation.

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