Lisarow Public School celebrates 90th anniversary
TEACHERS walking to school in floods, a swimming pool filled with creek water and overcoming the threat of closure have been woven into the 90-year history of Lisarow Public School.
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TEACHERS walking to school in floods, a swimming pool filled with creek water and overcoming the threat of closure have been woven into the 90-year history of Lisarow Public School.
The school celebrated its 90th birthday this week, and acknowledged the ongoing community input and support over the years which has made the school what it is today.
“It keeps coming back to community input,” Principal Peter Graham said.
“Over the years, we have had a number of events including floods and the potential closure of the school, but the community has always stood form. Having worked at other schools in the region and Newcastle, this is a very unique school.”
The school officially opened on May 28, 1928 with 42 students. It was the result of a community battle for a school which started in 1907.
Duncan McLachlan was the first principal and Doris Beeston was the assistant teacher. Aside from cementing the framework for the school the pair also took a liking to each other and married in 1929, opting to close the school for a day.
Today’s students were eager to hear about the school’s swimming pool during the 1950s.
“There was a corrugated iron swimming pool which had water from the creek,” Mr Graham said.
“The recollection from students was that it was quite smelly.”
During the 1960s, enrolments were so low there were only two classes which combined the lower and upper grades. However the school increased significantly in the 1980s and 1990s
In 1995 there were talks of amalgamating the school with Narara which caused outage in the community.
“There was such an opposition from the parent body that it didn’t happen,” Mr Graham said.
The original two classrooms still remain at the school, which has now grown to 270 students.
The school celebration coincided with Grandparent’s Day, with students and family members playing a host of games from the different decades including hop scotch.
Past principals attended the event, including longest serving principal John Emerton, Alan Wort and Ross Hallaways. Teacher Lorraine Watson also knitted a quilt for the occasion with the signatures of all 270 students at the school.
Mr Graham, whose great grandfather was among the first intake of students at the school, is honoured to be the principal and, with the family connection also including his nephew now in kindergarten, he says it’s like coming home.