1877 First Wickham School
This is for the first school built in Wickham for 267 students which opened on 11 March 1878, just 7 months after the foundation stone was laid. It is not for the infant and primary schools that are still standing on Hannell Street. A large part of the following newspaper article is a speech by Reverend John Dixon (Church of England) who endorses the secular Education Act of 1866 for the NSW colony and is very critical of denominational schools, especially those run by the Roman Catholic church.
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, 20 August 1877
“WICKHAM PUBLIC SCHOOL.
“LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE.
“The foundation stone of the new public school at Wickham was laid on Saturday afternoon, by the Rev. John Dixon, incumbent of St. James’ Church, in the presence of about two hundred persons. Amongst those present were the Mayor of Wickham, Aldermen Richardson and Downie, Messrs. D. Wallwork, T. Bryant, E. Plint, J. Walsh, and C. Upfold, members of the public school committee, and Mr T W. Hogue, Council Clerk and secretary to the committee. The school building will, when completed, present a very neat appearance, and, furthermore, will be commodious, well ventilated, and lighted. Near to will be the teacher’s residence, a neat little building, which will contain four rooms. To admit of the publication of the address delivered by the Rev. John Dixon on the occasion, we hold over until a future issue a description in detail of the buildings.”
The first Wickham Public School, located in Hannell Street, was opened on 11 March 1878. By August it was obvious that the two classrooms with which the school was originally provided were inadequate to serve the number of pupils attending, and by the end of the year enrolments totalled 415. By 1881 enrolments had risen to 619, and in March of that year the school was made a Superior Public School under the provisions of the Public Instruction Act, 1880. Four new classrooms were built between 1880 and 1889, but construction was not able to keep up with the school’s continued rapid growth; enrolments were in excess of 1,000 pupils for most of the 1890s, resulting in severe problems of overcrowding.
1892 Wickham Infants School
“With an enrolment of 336 infants somehow squeezed into a room 37 feet by 20 in mid 1886, something clearly had to be done, and a new infants room was built at the rear of the site in 1887 (Wickham Public School Centenary 1878-1978, p.).”
“Both the growth in numbers and the erection of extra buildings made the playground space very inadequate, and in 1890 Wickham Council urged the Department to acquire extra land. The Department readily agreed, and in March 1891, a third of an acre across Grey Street from the school was resumed at a cost of over £1500 plus interest” (Wickham Public School Centenary 1878-1978, p.13).
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, 3 March 1906
“WICKHAM SCHOOL …
“HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL …
“On 21st May, 1892 ,the enrolment had risen to 1103 and the weathersheds had to be used as classrooms. The Minister, Mr. F.B. Sutter, thereupon approved of a new infants’ school, which was erected on land adjoining the original site, at a cost of £2175, by Messrs. Mackellar and Wilson.”
Since the 1980s the building has been associated with the Awabakal Aboriginal Community Co-operative, who recently converted the building for use as office and administration for the Co-operative.
Despite a decline in numbers after the turn of the century, the overcrowding problem continued to be acute, and in 1904 work commenced on a new building, containing fourteen classrooms, to replace much of the earlier piecemeal construction.
1904 Wickham Public School
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, 3 March 1906
“WICKHAM SCHOOL …
HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL …
ln 1903, Mr. J. L. Fegan, M.P. and Mr R.J. Bond, Mayor of Wickham, brought under the notice of the Minister, Mr J. Perry, the defective lighting and ventilation of the main building. A report was called for and it was found that the necessary alterations would be costly, and yet would not bring the school into line with modern requirements. The present structure was therefore decided upon and in July, 1904, a contract was entered into with Mr. Montague Audet, of West Maitland, for its construction, at a cost of £5829, exclusive of fittings, outbuildings, and boundary wall.”
(Source: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/140962751/15181936)
Opening of the Wickham Public School in 1906
(Source: University of Newcastle Living Histories, https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/10990)
1878 to Closing in 1990
For the 100-year centenary in 1978 a 47-page booklet was written. It begins with a snapshot of the personnel in 1978 including all the pupils enrolled from kindergarten to Year 6. It then has messages from Minister for Education, Director of Education for Hunter Region, District Inspector & principal. The rest of the booklet covers the 100-year history. It is an interesting read.
[button]Wickham Public School Centenary 1878 – 1978[/button]
Rear view and playground of Wickham Public School
https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/19077
The formal history from the NSW government is:
From To Classification
Mar 1878 Mar 1881 Public School
Mar 1881 Dec 1912 Superior Public School
Jan 1913 Jun 1934 Public School and Home Science School
Jan 1913 Jun 1923 Public School and Junior Technial College
Jan 1925 Dec 1931 Public School and Junior Technial College
Sep 1934 Dec 1935 Public School
Jan 1936 Dec 1961 Public School and Home Science School
Jan 1962 Dec 1990 Public School
For the definition of each school type see: History of New South Wales government schools – Glossary of school types.
From 1962 to 1969, Wickham Girls’ Junior High used the Wickham Primary School building, and then from 1970 to its close in 1976 it was the Wickham Girl’s High School. After 1976 the pupils merged with the former Newcastle Boys’ High School to form Waratah High School. In 1977 the public school moved back into the Wickham Public School building.
December 1989 Earthquake
The public school sufferred considerable damage in the 1989 earthquake and officially ceased being a primary school in December 1990.
Presumably between 1990 and 1996, the Department of Eduction repaired the earthquake damage, however, this needs to be researched and confirmed.
The public school was transferred to Newcastle City Council in 1996 for $2 and converted to university student accommodation. “A deal to sell the school to the University of Newcastle as a Research Institute for Regional Futures was effectively concluded in 2009, but the university pulled out when the NSW government advised that about $1.6 million in associated funding could not be made available unless the project was used for affordable housing” (Newcastle Herald, 1 Nov 2012. Former Wickham school sold for $1.)
2013 Student Accommodation
In late 2012, Newcastle City Council sold the the former Wickham Public School to the Samaritans Foundation for $1, to accommodate homeless and at-risk youths studying at the University of Newcastle or TAFE. The building had recently been valued at $3 million.
The Samaritans have re-purposed the public school for student accommodation, opening in May 2013.
“The Samaritans Student Accommodation will begin in early 2013 in the former Wickham Public School building. The intention is to implement a Foyer Model to support young people experiencing homelessness or at risk of experiencing homelessness with accommodation in order to engage with education and/or training opportunities.
“A Foyer Model is providing supported accommodation for young people engaged in education or training. This originated in Europe, with hundreds operating in the UK. We hope to be one of just a handful currently operating in Australia.
“The Samaritans Student Accommodation is for young people aged 16-25, who need accommodation in order to continue goals around education and training. This accommodation is for up to 2 years, and young people are engaged with a support provider for the duration of the tenancy.” (Source: https://www.samaritans.org.au/uploads/files/SamaritansAccommodation-flyer.pdf)
In 2025, the Samaritans Student Accommodation is still operating.