Kalgoorlie Primary School celebrating 125th anniversary

As Kalgoorlie Primary School prepares to celebrate its 125th anniversary, past and present members of the school community have paused to look down memory lane at the history of the oldest public school in the city. Opening in 1896, the Kalgoorlie Government School was built on the corner of Maritana and Dugan streets — where the Kalgoorlie Bowling Club now operates — with a principal, an assistant, a monitor and sewing mistress caring for 171 pupils. By 1897, the school had outgrown several buildings before the Kalgoorlie Central School’s stone construction was opened on the corner of Dugan and Cassidy Streets with 267 students. With declining student numbers because of the closure of mine sites, and the opening of Boulder High School accommodating older students in 1952, the Education Department amal-gamated the junior school and primary school in 1980 to become the Kalgoorlie Primary School it is today. Caring for students during war times, the Great Depression and throughout Kalgoorlie-Boulder’s prosperity, the school remained a much-loved piece of Goldfields history with some family connections to the school dating back four generations. In the past 25 years, the school grounds have continued to undergo changes with demountable buildings in the early childhood area added, a new library, and new arts and science areas built. Grass was added to the Forrest Street side of the school which was previously red dirt with staff, students and families involved in laying roll-on lawn in this area, as well as regular upgrades including new playgrounds and shade. Senior teacher Miriam Thomas told the Kalgoorlie Miner the school was a finalist in the 2019 Education Department Awards for Primary School of the Year, and had two former principals recognised as WA Primary Principal of the Year — Rebecca Bope and Leonie Clelland. Past student Jean Althorpe — now living in Esperance — said she looked back fondly on her time at the school, which covered all her primary school years. “It was a very good school, and there were six of us (siblings) and we all went to primary school and right through there,” she said. “Sporting was great (at the school) and we always had carnivals with all the other schools and swimming carnivals so it was a very well run school, and a lovely school. It was always a very happy school for us.” Ms Thomas said all classrooms now benefited from a well-resourced technology program with students from Kindy to Year 6 having sets of tablets, as well as access to VR googles, 3-D printers and a school robot named Turbo There will be a community event this afternoon from 3pm at the school with family-friendly activities.