Our school has been part of the Numurkah community since 1879 (over 130 years). Here are some early facts about how our school started:
- With an influx of settlers into the Numurkah area, particularly from 1869 onwards, families felt that the establishment of a school in the town was important.
- A site for the school was selected as part of a land survey of the Numurkah township in 1875. Five acres were donated by William Saxton from his nearby land selection. (Our school has remained on the same site since that time).
- A petition was collated and passed onto the Victorian Education Department requesting that a school be established in the town, with a commencing student population of 40 children (with an increase in numbers likely to occur over the next few years)
- District Inspector Robert Craig recommended the establishment of the school, and called for a school room to be erected as soon as possible. The site was officially surveyed and gazetted in March, 1878.
- A portable timber building was forwarded from Melbourne (arriving on wagons) and included maps and charts of birds and snakes!
- State School 2134 Numurkah was offically established on March 4th 1879, with Thomas Livingstone as the first Headteacher.
- Over the next few decades the school population grew and with it, the provision of extra space.....by 1884 a new brick building had been completed, with a further brick wing added in 1886. A further room was added in 1900.
- The school was "remodelled" in 1912.
- An additional brick wing was added in 1926. This was to accommodate the newly established Higher Elementary School (a precursor to the establishment of a separate High School in 1956, on a new site).
- The brick buildings from the early 1900's remain a major part of our school today and are still as impressive now as they were then.
- Over the years, other buildings have been added, including some timber constructions (for cookery, woodwork, etc) in the 1930' to 50's; portable army huts; 1960's style Light Timber Constructions; and then in recent years, the colorbond clad Multi-purpose Room and the new brick and colorbond Open-learning & Classroom building. Along the way many renovations and alterations have taken place within the original structures..........but despite all the physical changes over the years, Numurkah Primary School still remains focussed on providing the best education possible for all children, from all "walks of life".