Tharwa Primary School was a primary school in the small village of
Tharwa, Australian Capital Territory
Tharwa (postcode 2620) is a township within the District of Paddys River, Australian Capital Territory, south of Canberra, the capital city of Australia. At the , Tharwa had a population of 81.
The village is located on the banks of the Mu ...
, Australia. It was built in 1898 and opened in 1899. The school had two classrooms for the primary school, plus a preschool room. While the current school dates from 1912, the site of the school made it the oldest operating school in Canberra until its closure in 2006. The first
Parents and Citizens committee was established in 1931.
The first pupil enrolled on 9 August 1899 and the centenary of this event was celebrated by a town ball and the launching a book ''A Century of Learning: Tharwa Primary School'' by historian Matthew Higgins. At that time the school only operated on a part-time basis.
In 2006 the government announced it would close Tharwa Primary School by the end of December 2006. An attempt was made to open a private school on the site, but the proposal was thwarted by new restrictions on private schools, enacted by the Legislative Assembly in December 2006. Community attempts to save or reopen the school continued, with the last blog post on the dedicated campaign site being posted in September 2007.
The Tharwa Preschool is still operating. The school and the surrounding community traditionally host an annual Tharwa Bush Fair.
ABC Canberra, 25 October 2009
See also
* List of schools in the Australian Capital Territory
This is a list of schools in the Australian Capital Territory, which houses Australia's capital city, Canberra. The Territory's education system consists of primary schools, which accommodate students from kindergarten to Year 6, high schools, w ...
References
Further reading
Higgins, Matthew, ''A Century of Learning: Tharwa Primary School 1899-1999'', published by Tharwa Primary School, 1999
External links
* (archive)
Public schools in the Australian Capital Territory
Primary schools in the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory Heritage Register
School buildings completed in 1898
Educational institutions established in 1899
1899 establishments in Australia
Educational institutions disestablished in 2006
2006 disestablishments in Australia
Defunct schools in the Australian Capital Territory
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