Demolition work begins at abandoned Croydon Secondary College, Melba College junior campus
WATCH THE VIDEO: Two years after the final school bell rang, the abandoned Croydon Secondary College and Melba College junior campus is being demolished. Find out what’s planned for the site.
Outer East
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Sixty years of school memories is being reduced to rubble with the demolition of the former Croydon Secondary College and Melba College’s junior campus
But in a win for nearby residents, a housing development won’t be built at the site, with the Croydon Community School to move there instead.
Demolition of school buildings at the Croydon Rd campus began late last month and will be finished in late January.
It was Croydon Secondary College’s home from 1958-2011 and then the merged Melba College’s junior campus until the end of 2017.
Last year, Maroondah Leader found the college’s abandoned buildings had been covered in graffiti and trashed by vandals. There was also evidence squatters had moved in.
Samuel St’s Lou Harms said it was “very sad” to see the buildings being knocked down.
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Mr Harms hoped the site had not been sold off for future housing.
“It was part of the furniture of the area and the schoolkids were always well behaved,” he said.
“This has always been a beautiful area and if we get more housing we’ll get absolutely cluttered up here and lose the quiet atmosphere.”
Department of Education spokesman Michael Courts said the site, owned by the department, was earmarked for the relocation of the Croydon Community School.
Mr Courts said the Victorian School Building Authority had worked with the school to create a masterplan and did not include the use of existing buildings.
The authority has also signed a deal with Maroondah Council to maintain the school oval and bushland for community use.
The deal also originally included the school’s old gym but the council later decided not to keep it and it was added to the demolition list.
Croydon Community School was contacted for comment.