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A history of the old Berowra School Hall
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DescriptionThe school began its life in 1898 as a one-room school with a verandah on one side. Before that time, school had been conducted in Berowra in a spare room in the home of Mary Wall in Waratah Road, with up to 25 pupils in the one room.
The original building was built by Mr William Humphries of Maroota, Pitt Town for the tender price of 99 pounds, and was completed in March 1898. The specification stated:
"The school building is to be constructed of wood and is to consist of a schoolroom 21ft x 16ft with a verandah 8ft wide extending along the front of it the full length of the building; the verandah to be closed at the ends. The walls of the schoolroom are to be 10 1/2 ft high, inside measurement."
The school grounds consisted of 2 acres, bounded by roads known as Park Street, King Street and Crown Street, and crown land on the western side. It apparently included the area now occupied by the tennis courts. Pan toilets were provided some distance away from the main building, initially in the area of the present tennis courts, but later relocated down the slope towards the western boundary. They were described as being "half hidden in the bush".
The building was given internal linings, a ceiling and a coat of paint in 1903, for the grand price of 27 pounds. The grounds were fenced in 1907, and new steps, additional verandahs and an extra window were added in 1910. By this time the school was accommodating up to 40 students (if they all came to school at the same time). The head teacher wrote that:
"At present, four children are accommodated in the enclosed verandah on the western side of the school owing to the air in the schoolroom becoming vitiated when 25 or more children are in the room for an hour or more."
The school was extended with the addition of the larger room in 1912, with the intention that the school should anticipate catering for an extra 40 pupils as the community of Berowra grew. The cost of the extensions was apparently 487 pounds. The additions were officially opened by the Director of Education, Mr P Board, on 7th September 1912. At this time, water was not connected, and two rainwater tanks were located adjacent to the building.
The community then lived with the threat of bushfires, just as we do now. In 1930, the school was used for a "Sale of Work" because the local hall had been burned down, and on two days in October 1937, the head teacher had to take the senior boys and go and fight bushfires while the school was left in the charge of Miss King.
Apparently little was done to the school building until 1937, when complaints about its poor lighting, ventilation and general run-down condition lead to the expenditure of 235 pounds on painting, repairs and other unspecified remodelling, which might have included larger windows. At some stage in this period, it appears that the main hall was extended on the northern end - the area that now houses the stage - and the roof line changed from a hip to a gable shape.
During the middle 1940s, the head teacher and the Berowra community began to suggest that the school had outgrown its site, and that land bounded by Hillcrest Road, High Street and Crown Street be acquired for a new and larger school. This eventually took place in 1948, and in March 1949 the Department of Education decided that
"... no objections will be raised to the transfer of the existing school site at Berowra to the Hornsby Council for public recreation purposes when the area is no longer required by the Education Department."
By August 1950, the two-room school with its verandahs was accommodating 95 students, taught by the Head Teacher and his assistant. The local school inspector advised that he expected the enrolment to increase to 110 in 1951. The building was not large enough to allow a third class to be established, and the grounds were also considered to be too small. The building itself was also reported as being in very poor condition, and not suitable for relocation to the new school site. The inspector recommended the provision of three prefabricated classrooms on the new site as soon as possible, or failing that, one prefabricated classroom be erected at the existing site, to avoid protests from parents.
In 1952, the new school was under construction, and the Education Department received representations from the local member, Mr Storey MLA, for the old school building to be made available for use as a "Baby Clinic, Library, Community Hall or for similar purposes ...". The Education Department considered that the building was in such poor condition that it was not worth retaining when it was no longer required for school purposes.
The new school was occupied on 30th October 1952, and the dedication of the original two-acre site as a school was revoked on 18th September 1953 by the then Minister for Lands, Mr F. H. Hawkins, who at the same time agreed that the site be reserved from sale to be used for purposes of "Public Recreation".
Physical FormatBerowraDimensionsBerowra Living History
The original building was built by Mr William Humphries of Maroota, Pitt Town for the tender price of 99 pounds, and was completed in March 1898. The specification stated:
"The school building is to be constructed of wood and is to consist of a schoolroom 21ft x 16ft with a verandah 8ft wide extending along the front of it the full length of the building; the verandah to be closed at the ends. The walls of the schoolroom are to be 10 1/2 ft high, inside measurement."
The school grounds consisted of 2 acres, bounded by roads known as Park Street, King Street and Crown Street, and crown land on the western side. It apparently included the area now occupied by the tennis courts. Pan toilets were provided some distance away from the main building, initially in the area of the present tennis courts, but later relocated down the slope towards the western boundary. They were described as being "half hidden in the bush".
The building was given internal linings, a ceiling and a coat of paint in 1903, for the grand price of 27 pounds. The grounds were fenced in 1907, and new steps, additional verandahs and an extra window were added in 1910. By this time the school was accommodating up to 40 students (if they all came to school at the same time). The head teacher wrote that:
"At present, four children are accommodated in the enclosed verandah on the western side of the school owing to the air in the schoolroom becoming vitiated when 25 or more children are in the room for an hour or more."
The school was extended with the addition of the larger room in 1912, with the intention that the school should anticipate catering for an extra 40 pupils as the community of Berowra grew. The cost of the extensions was apparently 487 pounds. The additions were officially opened by the Director of Education, Mr P Board, on 7th September 1912. At this time, water was not connected, and two rainwater tanks were located adjacent to the building.
The community then lived with the threat of bushfires, just as we do now. In 1930, the school was used for a "Sale of Work" because the local hall had been burned down, and on two days in October 1937, the head teacher had to take the senior boys and go and fight bushfires while the school was left in the charge of Miss King.
Apparently little was done to the school building until 1937, when complaints about its poor lighting, ventilation and general run-down condition lead to the expenditure of 235 pounds on painting, repairs and other unspecified remodelling, which might have included larger windows. At some stage in this period, it appears that the main hall was extended on the northern end - the area that now houses the stage - and the roof line changed from a hip to a gable shape.
During the middle 1940s, the head teacher and the Berowra community began to suggest that the school had outgrown its site, and that land bounded by Hillcrest Road, High Street and Crown Street be acquired for a new and larger school. This eventually took place in 1948, and in March 1949 the Department of Education decided that
"... no objections will be raised to the transfer of the existing school site at Berowra to the Hornsby Council for public recreation purposes when the area is no longer required by the Education Department."
By August 1950, the two-room school with its verandahs was accommodating 95 students, taught by the Head Teacher and his assistant. The local school inspector advised that he expected the enrolment to increase to 110 in 1951. The building was not large enough to allow a third class to be established, and the grounds were also considered to be too small. The building itself was also reported as being in very poor condition, and not suitable for relocation to the new school site. The inspector recommended the provision of three prefabricated classrooms on the new site as soon as possible, or failing that, one prefabricated classroom be erected at the existing site, to avoid protests from parents.
In 1952, the new school was under construction, and the Education Department received representations from the local member, Mr Storey MLA, for the old school building to be made available for use as a "Baby Clinic, Library, Community Hall or for similar purposes ...". The Education Department considered that the building was in such poor condition that it was not worth retaining when it was no longer required for school purposes.
The new school was occupied on 30th October 1952, and the dedication of the original two-acre site as a school was revoked on 18th September 1953 by the then Minister for Lands, Mr F. H. Hawkins, who at the same time agreed that the site be reserved from sale to be used for purposes of "Public Recreation".
Physical FormatBerowraDimensionsBerowra Living HistoryLocation
Building NameSchoolsBerowra
Berowra
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A history of the old Berowra School Hall. Hornsby Shire, accessed 26/04/2026, https://hornsbyshire.recollect.net.au/nodes/view/4445