The Gordon Public School is a heritage-listed former

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

public school Public school may refer to: * State school (known as a public school in many countries), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government * Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging independent schools in England an ...

located at 799 Pacific Highway, in the

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

suburb of

Gordon Gordon may refer to: People * Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters * Gordon (surname), the surname * Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War * Clan Gordon, ...

in the

Ku-ring-gai Council Ku-ring-gai Council is a local government area in Northern Sydney ( Upper North Shore), in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The area is named after the Guringai Aboriginal people who were thought to be the traditional owners of the area. ...

local government area of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia. The school was opened in 1871 and closed in 1989. The property was transferred to community use and is owned by Ku-ring-gai Council. It was added to the

New South Wales State Heritage Register The New South Wales State Heritage Register, also known as NSW State Heritage Register, is a heritage list of places in the state of New South Wales, Australia, that are protected by New South Wales legislation, generally covered by the Heritag ...

on 2 April 1999. Government primary schools at and the Gordon West Public School, located in , have replaced the Gordon Public School.

History

Between 1871 and 1885 the school was known as the Lane Cove School. The denominational Wesleyan School at Lane Cove was in 1871 converted into a public school. The enrolment was then 54 children. This school continued to be held in the old Wesleyan chapel until 1877. In March 1876, a site fronting Lane Cove Road (now known as Pacific Highway) was acquired at a cost of

A£ The pound (Sign: £, £A for distinction) was the currency of Australia from 1910 until 14 February 1966, when it was replaced by the Australian dollar. As with other £sd currencies, it was subdivided into 20 shillings (denoted by the symbol s ...

30, but portion of this ground was subsequently resumed by the Railway Department in 1888: but the Instruction Department secured an additional area for £318, and a further area was conveyed in 1891. The name of the school was in 1885 changed from Lane Cove School to Gordon Public School. In 1877 a tender for new school buildings and residence was accepted for the sum of £1,957, which were completed and opened in August of that year. At the official opening of a new wing at the school by the Minister of Public Instruction, The Hon.

Jacob Garrard Jacob Garrard (1 January 1846 – 5 November 1931) was a politician in colonial New South Wales, serving as Secretary for Public Works and Minister of Public Instruction. Early life Garrard was born in Harwich, Essex, England, the son of Joseph ...

MP, in 1897 it was reported that the school afforded accommodation for 98 pupils. In 1888 further additions were made at a cost of £207. The rooms just opened measured by , and is constructed of stone, and covered with slates, so as to match the old building. It is of modern design, giving plenty of light and ventilation and for each child. It gave accommodation for 100 pupils. With the old building there was accommodation for 220 children. The enrolment of the school for March 1897 was 205, with an average attendance of 143. The total cost of land and buildings amounted to £3,351.

Notable alumni

Lewis Yelland Andrews Lewis Yelland Andrews (26 September 1896-26 September 1937) was an Australian soldier and colonial official who served as the acting District Commissioner for the region of Galilee during the British Mandate over Palestine. He was assassinated ...

, soldier and colonial official. *

Bill Bradfield Keith Noel Everal ("Bill") Bradfield , FIEAust (25 December 1910 – 12 June 2006), also known as K. N. E. Bradfield, was an Australian civil and aviation engineer, public servant and diplomat, who served two terms as Australia's Permanent Repr ...

, civil and aviation engineer. * Philip Cox , architect * Harold Farncomb, RAN officer and admiral. *

Raymond Kershaw Raymond is a male given name. It was borrowed into English from French (older French spellings were Reimund and Raimund, whereas the modern English and French spellings are identical). It originated as the Germanic ᚱᚨᚷᛁᚾᛗᚢᚾᛞ ( ...

, army officer, banker and diplomat.James Cotton, 'Kershaw, Raymond (1898–1981)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/kershaw-raymond-31015/text38382, accessed 23 March 2022. * Sir Marcus Loane, Anglican archbishop of Sydney. * Arthur Wheen, soldier, translator and librarian.

Description

Heritage listing

Gordon Public School was listed on the

on 2 April 1999.

References

Attribution