2022 marks 150 years of public education in Victoria.
In 1872 the introduction of the Education Act made Victoria the first Australian colony (and one of the first jurisdictions in the world) to offer free, secular and compulsory education to its children.
Being a forerunner of free, secular and compulsory education is one of Victoria’s greatest achievements.
Before 1872 most children living in Victoria were enrolled at government-aided institutions, others attended independent or church schools. A few were educated at home by tutors and, at a time when schooling was neither compulsory nor free, some received no formal education at all.
To commemorate the occasion, a website has been developed to include a short history of our oldest schools. It will continue to be added to throughout the year.
The anniversary provides an opportunity for family and local historians to research and write about family and school histories, incorporating national and cultural backgrounds of your family members and when and where they lived; an opportunity to search for primary records such as diaries and letters in the family, seek out secondary sources such as school histories and education histories such as School days: looking back on education in Victoria and online exhibitons such as School Days: Education in Victoria.
Writers can be further be inspired by written sources such as biographies and autobiographies, community cookbooks, newsletters, advertisements and school reports. Visual sources such as badges and uniforms, craftwork and onsite visits, even listening based sources such as songs, school debates, speeches and oral history interviews can inspire creativie approaches for your research and writing. *
Learn more
- Records of State Schools, students, teachers and buildings can be found at Public Record Office Victoria. Start with their Education Guide .
- School and education history in Victoria (Research Guide, State Library Victoria).
- Search over 100,000 pupil names in Archival Access’s Pupil Register Database including Ivanhoe.
- Search School Photos of Australia and New Zealand on Flickr.
Local History
YPRL hold a number of local education histories, year books and other records relating to our local schools in our local history collections. Check the catalogue for your school of interest. (It might be come up in the newspaper index). Here are a selection:
- Vision and Realisation: a centenary history of state education in Victoria, 1973
- Look for a potted history of school, many rural schools since closed.
- 130 years of schooling: history of Thomastown Primary School No 631, 1855-1985 by Beryl Patullo, 1985
- Forum: Eltham College Year Book 1981-2006
- Caritas: Catholic Ladies College, Eltham year books 1971-2008
- The Parade story: 130 years of education: Christian Brothers College, Victoria Parade, East Melbourne (1871-1967) and Plenty Road, Bundoora (1968-2000) by P.C. Naughtin, 2001
- Slab hut to red brick: Ivanhoe Primary School (1853-2003): a history and community, 2004
- We did open a School in Little Eltham: Eltham Primary School 209 / 1856-2006 a history, 2006
- A passion to serve: 100 years of Ivanhoe Grammar School by Helen Penrose, 2015
- Loyola College: Justice, mercy, Faith: the story of Catholic Education in the Ignation tradition at Loyola College, Watsonia 1980-2020
- Wikinorthia also includes articles and reminscences about local schools.
- It is Family History Month. What were your experiences at school? How do they differ from family members and friends?
- Come along to Remembering Childhood Places with Dr Carla Pascoe Leahy at Diamond Valley Library on Wednesday 24 August.
- To get involved in the 150th celebrations on social media use the hashtag #schools150years.
- *Thanks to Dr Rosalie Triolo and her recent presentation at Watsonia Library on Celebrating 150 years of State Schooling in Victoria.