Menzies School

Parent Place or Precinct

01556 Menzies School

Child Places

• 01556 Menzies School
• 23879 Menzies Secondary School

Statement of Significance

The place has aesthetic value for creative design and adaptation to a harsh climatic setting, exhibited by vented gablets, high ceilings, verandahs and the introduction of dormer windows. The place, together with the adjoining former teachers' quarters forms a precinct of institutional buildings and as a group are a demonstration of the history of the place. The place is a representative example, typical of the construction of institutional buildings, for the time of construction.

Physical Description

The building is rectangular in plan and orientated north-south. The building exterior features projecting eaves and metal louvred vents in the gable walls. The windows are double-hung sashes, divided into eight panes by slim glazing bars, and have bottom-hung fanlights. The interior comprises two classrooms, on the eastern side of the central passage, and office (originally cloakroom up until 25 years ago) and staff room on the western side.
The steps to the original entrance have been removed and the interior porch has been enclosed to accommodate storage.
The interior has covered floorboards throughout, with a combination of fibro-cement wall linings and ripple iron wall and ceiling linings. The rooms have new suspended fluorescent lights and ceiling fans. In 1899, a third classroom was added. In 1902, tennis courts were added to the school grounds. In 1904, a fourth classroom was added to the addition that created an east-west wing that changed the school to an 'L-shape'. In 1912, to improve air circulation within the interior, dormer windows were added to the eastern and western roof slopes. The dormer windows are divided into three awnings and are protected by battened eaves. In 1929, the east-west wing was dismantled and re-built elsewhere for use as a wool shed. In 1948, general repairs were carried out and in 1949, a basketball court was constructed. The roof was re-clad in the late-1980s. In 1991, a timber pergola with shadecloth was added to the northern elevation. In 1992, a lean-to roof was built to cover an activity area on the eastern side of the building. Within the last 12 months roof plumbing has been replaced and the exterior and interior painted.
Outbuildings include an old lunchshed that has been rebuilt, and toilets (c. 1970s). Original toilets are no longer extant. The original school bell sits directly south of the basketball courts.

History

Agitation from Menzies residents extracted a promise from the Minister for education in October 1896 that a school would be built as soon as a site could be selected. No reserve had been set aside in the original townsite, and the Menzies extension survey was delayed pending a decision on the route of the railway. Plans of the proposed building were completed within a few weeks, and a suitable site at the northern edge of town was recommended by the Warden of the North Coolgardie Goldfield early in 1897. Nevertheless, various delays prevented reservation of the site for more than a year.
A Menzies deputation to the Under Secretary for Works in October 1897 brought forth an assurance that plans were being prepared for a school building estimated to cost £1,900, which would be built as soon as money was available. [NCH 19/10/1897, p.2] Tenders were called for the construction of a school and head teacher's quarters at Menzies the following month [GG 19/11/1897, p.2522], and although the identity of the successful contractor was never gazetted, it may have been G. Filman whose tender was lowest. (NCH 15/12/1897, p.2]
The awaited opening of the new school building took place on 6 June 1898. It was amongst the last official acts of S.B. Schlam as Mayor, and he referred to the great struggle the residents of Menzies had made to get a school for their town. The new building consisted of two classrooms on Reserve 5108. At the conclusion of the opening ceremony the children were treated to a lolly and nut scramble donated by local storekeepers. [Miners' Daily News 04/06/1898, p.2; 07/06/1898, p.2; Menzies Weekly Times 11/06/1898, p. 15]
In February 1899, Miss Elizabeth I. McKay arrived to take over from Miss O'Meagher. [MM 04/02/1899, p. 18] Already the classrooms were overcrowded, prompting the government to call for tenders for an additional room, a contract won by local builder Charles W. Arnott at a cost of £297/17/10. [GG 09/06/1899, p. 1676; 14/07/1899, p.2025]
The year 1902 saw the school and quarters painted throughout by W. E. Phelan. [GG 21/03/1902, p.l 162] Other milestones that year included the opening of a tennis court in the school grounds. [NCH 12/06/1902, p.2]
The growing number of students continued to outpace the facilities. Even though more than twenty transferred to the Menzies Convent School when that opened in 1903, overcrowding and under-staffing at the State School remained a problem. [WAA - Acc 2268/1 School Journal 1902-1920] Tenders were called for the addition of a fourth classroom early in 1904, a contract won by J. R. Douglas with a quote of £500. [GG 01/01/1904, p.34; 05/02/1904, p.337] This room was joined to that previously added, giving the school an L shape. It was formally opened by the Hon. Henry Gregory, Minister for Mines, who had been Mayor of Menzies when agitation for a school had first begun. [NCH 31/03/1904, p.2; WAA - Acc 2268/1 School Journal 1902-1920]
The headmaster's quarters were enlarged under a government contract by Messrs Bell and West in 1911. [GG 23/09/1910, p.2551; 09/12/1910, p.3695; PWD Plan 10510] In 1912, it was decided that the classrooms required an improvement in air-flow and a system of cross ventilation dormer windows wa designed under the supervision of PWD Chief Architect, Hillson Beasley. [WAA - PWD Plan 10510] A contract to undertake these alterations was secured by T. H. Bell in May [GG 26/04/1912, p. 1571; 31/05/1912, p.2051], and the work commenced at the end of June.
By 1929, mining in Menzies had been in the doldrums for years. The population had dwindled so much that the school had been reduced to a one teacher affair, with no more than 20 or 30 pupils attending. As there was little need of four classrooms, the Education Department decided to sell off two of them. The successful tenderer was E. G. Wilkie, a pastoralist from Jessop's Well, who intended using the timber to build a woolshed. [GG
18/01/1929, p. 123; 08/05/1929, p.771; WAA - Acc 2268/2 School Journal 1928-1950]
In February 1948, Headmaster M. A. Brechin recorded that two workmen engaged on extensive repairs to the school and quarters were being hindered through delays in the delivery of materials. Besides the repair of gutters, the delayed renovations involved a new shelter shed, the erection of a new fence around the quarters, the enclosure of his porch and the installation of a new sink in the headmaster's quarters. It took until mid-June 1948 before all this was completed by a contractor named Bruneguard from Leonora. Further renovations instigated by Brechin included the repainting of school and quarters by Baker & Johns in November 1948, the construction of a basketball court in June 1949 and the installation of a new stove in the quarters by W. Robertson in September 1949. [WAA - Acc 2268/2 School Journal 1928-1950]
The place continues to be used for educational purposes

Integrity/Authenticity

INTEGRITY: High Degree
AUTHENTICITY: High Degree

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.