Penrhos College

Physical Description

The campus of Penrhos College is set within a densely developed residential area but benefits from being adjacent to the Ryrie Reserve to the north, sporting ovals belonging to Wesley College to the east, Collier Park Golf Course to the south east and South Perth tennis club to the south which creates a sense of openness around the school. The school campus itself is positioned on the crest of Morrison Street which elevates its position in the local streetscape.

The school campus has expanded quite rapidly since the school opened in the 1970s with the most recent construction along the Thelma Street frontage in c.2013. Although the buildings all display differing architectural styles they are generally tied together through a limited material palette.

The original open character of the school campus has been lost due to the continual development of the site. The school is built on land that once formed part of the Collier Pine Plantation with many trees having been cleared to make way for the school. Remnant pine trees can be found near the entrance to the school on Morrison Street.

History

This site was formerly part of the Collier Pine Plantation, one of several pine plantations in the outer metropolitan area which were established in the late 1920s with the goal of supporting the timber industry and provide relief work for the unemployed during the period of economic depression. It was proposed that the mature trees would be a valuable resource which the government would profit from when cut down in the 1960s, and that the land would then be used for public purposes. The original plantation was 900 acres, and the plantation was divided roughly in half by the boundary between the City of Perth and the City of South Perth. Initial plantings were unsuccessful with the death of 95% of the first seedlings. After adapting the methods of planting and management the trees grew to maturity over the next 30 years.

In 1966, the 20 acre (8 hectare) site currently occupied by Penrhos College, was made available to the school by the state government following applications from Principal, Margaret Way as the school was occupying overcrowded premises in Angelo Street opposite the Zoo. This girls school in South Perth had its origins in a sequence of private schools operating in South Perth from the early 1900s. In 1951, the school was purchased by the Methodist Church and developed as a sister school to Methodist Ladies College (MLC) in Claremont under the guidance of Margaret Way. In 1958, the school became independent of MLC Claremont and in 1961, the school expanded to allow girls to continue their education through to Year 12. Achieving independent status led to a name change for the school in 1964, when Mrs Way chose the Welsh name ‘Penrhos’, deriving from the Welsh name ‘Penrhos’: ‘pen’ means ‘top’ or ‘summit’, as in mountain or hill; and ‘rhos’ means ‘heath’ or ‘plain’.

In 1966, architects Cameron, Chisholm & Nicol were appointed to design school buildings for the new site and in July 1970 the Foundation Stone was laid and work commenced. As part of the ceremonial start to the school a wooden cross was erected on the site which is now located at the entrance to school.

Building commenced quickly in 1970 and Stage 1 classrooms and the Colwyn Boarding House were completed in December 1970 enabling Years 10, 11 and 12 move to Como in February 1971, followed by Years 7, 8 and 9 in 1972. The Junior School students moved to Como in 1974 and the Olympic sized swimming pool was completed in the same year.

Since the initial phase of construction the school has continued to add to and adapt its buildings. Later major additions include;
1977 Sports centre or Jubilee Hall
1986 Margaret Way Courtyard
1995 Performing Arts Centre
1997 New classrooms
2000 the Vision 2000 50th Anniversary building program commenced including upgrade and extensions to the Sports Centre, Dining Hall and Boarding House, with extensions being made to the Administration wing.
2009 Menai Boarding House
2011 Early Learning Centre

Throughout the development of the school pine trees from the original plantation have been retained where possible creating a unique aesthetic for the schools setting.

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Condition

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