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OUR SCHOOL HISTORY
For more than 75 years Bellevue Hill Public School has served
the local community, in a part of Sydney which at the
beginning of the 20th century was little more than a
picturesque lookout. The area remained largely bushland for
much of the 19th century and was part of the Point Piper
estate. Two acres of parkland at the top of Bellevue Hill,
behind the present school, were resumed for public use in
about 1850. Much of the area belonged to the Cooper estate,
and the family name remains today in Cooper Park, the leafy
former volcanic crater still used by students for sports and
recreation.
From about 1902, as Sydney expanded, Sir Daniel Cooper
began selling parcels of land. Houses soon sprang up along
Old South Head Road, Bellevue Road and Victoria Road and
the local population grew rapidly.
Local residents first raised the need for a school in 1891. On
behalf of his constituents, Mr Latimer MLA asked for a public
school at Bellevue Hill in 1902, but the matter was deferred as
it was considered that Bondi and Waverley public schools
were sufficient for local education needs. With a view to the
future, however, in 1903 an area of land comprising two acres
was purchased from Sir Daniel Cooper.
Strong representations were made from time to time to have
the school established. One local resident wrote to the
Department of Public Instruction in 1905: "...the district is
rising rapidly, more than any other in Sydney at the present
time," adding: "In bad weather education has to be neglected
through the distance to the nearest public school." In 1916 a
formal application was made, bearing the names of fifty-eight
prospective pupils. As the surrounding schools were by now
filled to capacity it was finally decided to provide an infants'
school and initial designs were drawn up. The matter was
again delayed, as the Railway Commissioners were negotiating
to exchange a portion of land for a section of the school site,
to be used for tramway purposes. The community eventually
had its way and the Commissioners had to look elsewhere for
the proposed tramlines.
In 1920, Woollahra Municipal Council raised the question of
the school with MPs for the district, but lack of funds caused
further delay. It was not until 1923 that it was finally decided
to proceed with the provision of the school. By this time a full
primary school rather than an infants' school was needed and
plans were prepared for such a building. New plans were
drawn up by the architect, Mr RMS Wells, and tenders were
invited. Wells initially estimated the cost at £10,630, but in
the following 18 months the bill blew out to £15,113. Some
things never change! The erection of the building took place
in 1924-25, with Mr W Whitehouse as supervising engineer.
The building was completed in 1924, hence the year at the
top of the main building. The school then opened its gates
with its first enrolments on 20 April 1925. The new school
consisted of a two storey dark brick building, containing ten
classrooms. The floors and both staircases were constructed
of fireproof, reinforced concrete which was at the time,
somewhat innovative. An assembly space of 70 feet (21
metres) by 26 feet (6 metres) was provided on both floors.
 The school came into operation
on 20 April 1925 with Mr Arthur
Knight as its first Headmaster,
assisted by a staff of six. The
building was designed to
accommodate 480 pupils. Its
initial intake consisted of 415
local children: 162 boys and
146 girls in primary, and the
rest in infants.
The school population grew rapidly, and so did class sizes. In
June 1926, Inspector WE Black reported to the Education
Department that further accommodation was necessary. In
1927 the Parents and Citizens Association wrote to the
Department of Education that two classes, totalling 110
children, had to share the Assembly Hall and that it was very
cold in winter. An additional parcel of land was purchased and
the extensions were completed in 1929 at a cost of £3,216.
These additions meant that the school could now
accommodate 672 pupils and it was soon full to capacity.
By the start of the 1930s the basic structure was much as it
is today. Below is how the school's space was organised at
the time:
Ground Floor
Seven classrooms arranged in groups of two with folding
partitions between; the odd one being a Kindergarten
classroom
2 hat rooms
3 corridors
4 entrance porches
3 vestibules
Lobby
Assembly Hall 70ft x 25ft 9in
Head Master's room
Head Mistress room
2 store rooms
First Floor
Seven classrooms arranged as on the Ground Floor; the odd
one being an Infants classroom
2 hat rooms
2 corridors
lobby
Assembly Hall 70ft x 25ft 9in
3 staff rooms
The Department of Education archives contain substantial
documentation of the school's efforts to overcome problems
at this time, showing that some concerns remain constant.
There are reports that the boys' urinals were not flushing and
requests for a policeman to be on duty in the morning and
afternoon, because of the danger to children from heavy
traffic along Victoria Road. In 1931 there were two alarming
incidents. In the first, a motor cycle injured a child as she ran
from the bus and in the second, a woman motorist drove
between a group of children at the terrifying speed of 25
miles per hour. The Headmaster Mr Milligan, was "pleased to
record that I receive the most loyal assistance from my staff
on the road - they never hesitate to place themselves in the
thick of the traffic to protect the children." In 1934 white
ants were reported at the school. They were discriminating
creatures: their main target appeared to be the headmaster's
office.
By now the staff (average salary £4 10s) had many reasons
to concern themselves with the welfare of their pupils. The
Great Depression had arrived and hard times came to Bellevue
Hill. From this point on, the best material available on
conditions is contained in the recollections of the students
and teachers themselves in our 75th anniversary booklet
(available from the school.
During the 1930s enrolments had gradually fallen away and for
most of the 1940s the school population hovered around the
480 mark. It rose again in the postwar baby boom to reach
850 by 1955 and declined again only in the 1960s - down to
544 in 1970. Currently it is about 320 pupils.
Social changes too came in the postwar years. Australia
opened its doors to migrants from Europe and soon the school
population included children from Central and Southern
Europe. It rapidly developed ways of integrating them all. One
girl whose parents came as Jewish refugees remembers
always being happy at Bellevue Hill; she was never made to
feel that her family was "different". In all the changes that
have followed, with growing migration particularly from Russia,
the Middle East and Asia in the 1980s and 1990s, the school
has continued to respond to the developing needs of the
community, celebrating its multicultural diversity and providing
a stimulating environment for all its students. It has changed
in ways which might astonish those residents of the early part
of the century who campaigned so energetically for its
foundation: but it has remained true to their aim of providing
the best in public education for every child.
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