School History – Then and Now

The original Morang South Primary School was designed by an Henry Robert Bastow. Bastow was an Australian architect who during the 1870s and 1880s over saw the design and construction of more than 600 school for the Victorian Education Department. The original Morang South Primary School building is a blue stone building, with a residence for the teacher and could hold up to 50 students. The original building is an early and simple example of Bastow’s work. It is the only one of its kind with surviving architectural drawings, which are also signed by him. Many of Bastow’s other works were large and tended to be located in what were considered more urban settings for the time.

Morang South Primary School first opened its doors in 1877. The first teacher was Mr Thomas Doyle.  The school continued with only one teacher until 1935 when and infant teacher was employed. By 1959, numbers had grown and another room was added to the building.

By the 1960s there were concerns about condition of the main bluestone building and the need for renovations was apparent. A proposal to demolish was put forward, however fortunately the decision was made to save the building and necessary repairs were made to preserve the structure. As the school grew, additional buildings were added to the original site. The bluestone building continued its use as a library and canteen.  

The old blue stone school house is located at 879 Plenty Road on the grounds of the Estia Health Plenty Valley. The school relocated to its current site at 77 Gorge Road in 1997.