Swansea Public School
School in New South Wales, Australia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Swansea Public School is a school in Lake Macquarie, Australia. It was founded in 1875.
- Galgabba Private School
- Galgabba Public School
- Swansea Central School
| Swansea Public School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
Swansea Australia 33.084128°S 151.635988°E | |
| Information | |
| Former name |
|
| Motto | Strive to do well |
| Established | 1 April 1875 |
Principal | Brett Carr[1] |
| Enrollment | 204 |
| Language | English |
| Website | swansea-p |
In 2024, the school had 204 students. 25% of students had Aboriginal ancestry.[2]
History
The school was formed in 1875 as Galgabba Private School, with Galgabba being the Awabakal name for Swansea.[3] It started out as a single room with one teacher.[4] The school was on the property of Thomas Boyd in Swansea South,[5] with 23 children enrolled.[3] Thomas Boyd was one of the earliest European settlers in Swansea.[6] The school was originally near a camp for workers building the walls along the Swansea Channel.[7] The school moved to its current location in 1885, and began using the Swansea name in 1889.[8]
In 1922, it was found that students were having lessons in an "open weather shed" with no roof and no desks.[9] In 1923, the local Progress Association discussed the condition of the school and how to have it improved by the Department of Education.[10] In 1924, the school was only two wooden one-room buildings. The space was suitable for 92 students, but the enrollment was 181.[11]
In 1929, the school was approved for a new classroom and a staff room.[12] But in the early 1930s, the school was still significantly overcrowded, with funding for expansions unavailable.[13][14] Classes were being held in the shed and on the porch for lack of space.[15]
In April 1937, a new school building was opened,[16] in line with the school's fiftieth anniversary.[17] By this time, the school had ten rooms, eleven staff members, and 460 students.[4]
During World War II, students raised money for the Junior Red Cross to support the war effort.[18] In 1944, the school was given the classification of a central school.[19] It reverted back to public school classification in 1954.[3] The school building was damaged by arson in 1980 and subsequently demolished.[7]
In 2015 during the Hunter Valley Storms, the school was closed for multiple days.[20]
