Jitarning School - Site

Statement of Significance

The site represents the beginnings of community development in
Jitarning before the town and railway. It demonstrates a way of life no longer practiced, and
associations with education. It demonstrates associations with the pioneer settlers of the Jitarning
area.

History

Michael Brown, a former pastoralist, encouraged and assisted
new settlers in the Jitarning area, and by 1912 there was a Progress Association. That year the
Geetarning Progress Association lobbied the Education Department for a full time school to be
located at Jitarning. Geetarning State School was subsequently constructed on land adjoining the
Jitarning townsite, donated by Peter Spurr of "Comadyne". The Geetarning State School opened
on 8 September 1913, and the address was 86 gate via Wickepin. The school then remained idle for
three months while accommodation was found for the teacher and her family. All the Spurr family
children attended the school and they boarded the teachers until the hostel was built.
The families who applied for the school could now send their children to school; Connors(3),
Prices(2), Quinns(2), Dungeys(3), Spurrs(4), Leggett(1) and the Scotts(3).
Between 1917 and 1921 the school was known as Geetarning and Jitarning.
On the 17 December 1920 the school close due to lack of students. Government school were
required to sustain a minimum of eight students to retain teacher services. However by 7 April 1921
it re-opened as Jitarning State School.
By the late 1930s the economy was on the improve. The Jitarning branch of the CWA applied to
erect a shelter at the school in 1937, and the school was extended in 1938 to cater for the increasing
number of students, and the hall was used as a temporary facility during construction works.
With the introduction of a school bus service from Jitarning to Kulin, and with subsequent deceasing
numbers, the Jitarning School was finally closed in 1950, when the student numbers fell below
eight. The school building was removed from its site and re-located on the Bill Cook's farm in 1979.
The school site has been recognised with a plaque, during a re-union in Jitarning on 29 September
1991. There is a possibility of re-locating the school in its original location.

Condition

Site

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

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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.