Built in 45 days: Box Hill Public up and running after long Telegraph campaign

It was the forgotten suburb that desperately needed a school. Now, after a massive Tele win — and a 45-day building blitz — they have one.

Pictured at Box Hill Public School today are students Declan Reed 7, Anika Rana 7, Palak Dundas 7 and Deviaan Bhatia 7. Picture: Tim Hunter.

It was the forgotten suburb that desperately needed a school and now, after a Daily Telegraph campaign, they have one.

Box Hill Public is up and running, with a new cohort of 300 pupils starting earlier this month, including Year 2 student Declan Reed who now has a quick stroll to school instead of a longer commute.

“My previous school, it used to take 15 minutes to get there,” Declan said.

“It’s not even a minute now.”

Pictured at Box Hill Public School today are students Declan Reed 7, Anika Rana 7, Palak Dundas 7 and Deviaan Bhatia 7. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Principal Mel Mackie spent a lot of the summer holidays setting the school up for the beginning of term one and told the Telegraph it was a long time coming for the northwest suburb, 50km from the CBD.

Pictured at Box Hill Public School today is Speaker of the House of Representatives Milton Dick, and Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland, and Principal Mel Mackie. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Pictured at Box Hill Public School today which was built in 45 days. Picture: Tim Hunter.

“We have a really amazing community here, everyone is so generous with spirit, they’ve waited a long time for this school to take place, and now we feel like a really big family,” Ms Mackie said.

The freshly-completed school was visited by Labor Speaker Milton Dick and MP Michelle Rowland, who showed the new year two students the flag that flies over Parliament House.

Pictured at Box Hill Public School today is Principal Mel Mackie, Speaker of the House of Representatives Milton Dick, and Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland, and the teachers and staff with the Australia Flag from Australian Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: Tim Hunter.

“The parents, kids and teachers of this area have been so patient,” Ms Rowland said.

“I’m so pleased they have been able to enjoy something that’s so special for what is probably the newest school in NSW.”

“They have been able to put this school together in record time, with the development approval only happening just before Christmas last year, and it opened on the first day of term this year.”

The school has welcomed just over 300 students so far, but hopes to reach 600 enrolments in the near future.

Originally published as Built in 45 days: Box Hill Public up and running after long Telegraph campaign