Swansea Public School

Last updated
Swansea Public School
Location
Swansea Public School
Swansea

New South Wales

Australia
Coordinates 33°05′03″S151°38′10″E / 33.084128°S 151.635988°E / -33.084128; 151.635988
Information
Former name
  • Galgabba Private School
  • Galgabba Public School
  • Swansea Central School
MottoStrive to do well
Established1 April 1875 (1875-04-01)
PrincipalBrett Carr [1]
Number of students204
Language English
Website swansea-p.schools.nsw.gov.au

Swansea Public School is a school in Lake Macquarie, Australia. It was founded in 1875.

Contents

In 2024, the school had 204 students. 25% of students had Aboriginal ancestry. [2]

History

The school was formed in 1875 as Galgabba Private School, with Galgabba being the Awabakal name for Swansea. [3] It started out as a single room with one teacher. [4] The school was on the property of Thomas Boyd in Swansea South, [5] with 23 children enrolled. [6] Thomas Boyd was one of the earliest European settlers in Swansea. [7] The school was originally near a camp for workers building the walls along the Swansea Channel. [8] The school moved to its current location in 1885, and began using the Swansea name in 1889. [9]

In 1922, it was found that students were having lessons in an "open weather shed" with no roof and no desks. [10] In 1923, the local Progress Association discussed the condition of the school and how to have it improved by the Department of Education. [11] In 1924, the school was only two wooden one-room buildings. The space was suitable for 92 students, but the enrollment was 181. [12]

In 1929, the school was approved for a new classroom and a staff room. [13] But in the early 1930s, the school was still significantly overcrowded, with funding for expansions unavailable. [14] [15] Classes were being held in the shed and on the porch for lack of space. [16]

In April 1937, a new school building was opened, [17] in line with the school's fiftieth anniversary. [18] By this time, the school had ten rooms, eleven staff members, and 460 students. [4]

During World War II, students raised money for the Junior Red Cross to support the war effort. [19] In 1944, the school was given the classification of a central school. [20] It reverted back to public school classification in 1954. [3] The school building was damaged by arson in 1980 and subsequently demolished. [8]

In 2015 during the Hunter Valley Storms, the school was closed for multiple days. [21]

Parents and Citizens Association

The Parents and Citizens Association was formed in 1910, after a meeting's unanimous decision to create one. [22] In 1928, the Parents and Citizens Association gave Christmas presents to students. [23] The Parents and Citizens Association was still active in 2024. [2]

References

  1. ↑ "How a young boy helped a bus driver recover from racist attack". Newcastle Herald. 2023-04-07. Retrieved 2025-09-02.
  2. 1 2 "2024 Annual Report" (PDF). NSW Department of Education. 2025-05-19.
  3. 1 2 "Swansea". Lake Mac Histories.
  4. 1 2 "New Public School at Swansea". Newcastle Sun. 1937-04-17. p. 4. Retrieved 2025-09-02.
  5. ↑ Lake Macquarie's Heritage: 1800 - Western and Southern Districts - volume one. Bookman Publishers: History & Heritage Collection.
  6. ↑ "Swansea". Lake Mac Histories.
  7. ↑ Clouten, Keith (1967). Reids mistakes : the early history of Lake Macquarie (PDF). Adelaide: Griffin Press Limited.
  8. 1 2 "Back to School" (PDF). Heritage of East Lake Macquarie. 2024.
  9. ↑ Lake Macquarie's Heritage: 1800 - Western and Southern Districts - volume one. Bookman Publishers: History & Heritage Collection.
  10. ↑ "Swansea Public School". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. 1922-07-15. p. 2. Retrieved 2025-09-02.
  11. ↑ "SWANSEA SCHOOL". Newcastle Sun. 1923-11-06. p. 1. Retrieved 2025-09-02.
  12. ↑ "Popular Swansea". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. 1924-01-04. p. 5. Retrieved 2025-09-02.
  13. ↑ "Swansea Public School". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. 1929-07-02. p. 5. Retrieved 2025-09-02.
  14. ↑ "SWANSEA PUBLIC SCHOOL". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. 1932-08-20. p. 8. Retrieved 2025-09-02.
  15. ↑ "SWANSEA". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. 1933-02-04. p. 4. Retrieved 2025-09-02.
  16. ↑ "Swansea School "Badly Overcrowded" Class in Shed". Newcastle Sun. 1931-06-15. p. 4. Retrieved 2025-09-02.
  17. ↑ "TO-DAY'S NEWS". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. 1937-04-26. p. 1. Retrieved 2025-09-02.
  18. ↑ "SWANSEA - Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954) - 22 Apr 1937". Trove. 22 April 1937. p. 3. Retrieved 2025-09-02.
  19. ↑ "Helping the War Effort". Newcastle Sun. 1942-08-14. p. 2. Retrieved 2025-09-02.
  20. ↑ "Swansea School's Status Raised". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. 1944-04-14. p. 5. Retrieved 2025-09-02.
  21. ↑ Rigney, Sam (2015-04-23). "Hunter storms: School closures cause confusion". Newcastle Herald.
  22. ↑ "SWANSEA". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. 1910-06-24. p. 6. Retrieved 2025-09-02.
  23. ↑ "Swansea Public School". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. 1928-12-26. p. 3. Retrieved 2025-09-02.
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