150 years: Smeaton Primary School

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

Key information

Address:
7 Queen Street, Smeaton, 3364
Opened:
1 September 1861
Closed:
31 December 2013
School type:
Primary
School number:
552
Other names:
Smeaton School, Smeaton Common School

The history of Smeaton Primary School

  • 1861

    Smeaton opened in 1861. 

    The first head teacher was John Forbes and his assistant was Zillah North.

    The school building was made of wood and was attended by 44 students.

  • 1868

    Building renovations were undertaken due to rising student numbers.

  • 1870 to 1871

    A four-room teacher's house was supplied.

  • 1882

    The district population continued to rise, leading to increased enrolments at the school. Another classroom was added in October.

  • 1907

    A new brick building was built and could accommodate 122 students.

  • 1970

    The name of the school changed to Smeaton Primary School in 1970. 

  • 2013

    The school closed in 2013 due to low student numbers.

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. PROV currently only have paper records for this school. Take a look to see what info they have on this school.

Updated