Glenmore Road Public School

The local history centre has an excellent little publication called "Paddington Heritage".  Written by local historian Libby Watters in 2004, it provides an overview of the 18 listed heritage sites within the Woollahra council part of Paddington.  One of those listings is for Glenmore Road Public School.  The following is an extract ...

"By the 1880s the population of Paddington has increased considerably since 1856 when the first public school, the Paddington School, had been built. A second public school was needed and in 1881 the Crown resumed about 2 acres of land in Glenmore Road for this purpose.  The resumed land was part of John Gurner's Duxford Estate.

While the Department of Public Instruction (later Education), established in 1880, had appointed its own architect William Kemp, it also commissioned private architects to design schools. The architects Charles Blackmann and Varney Parkes submitted plans to the Public Architect for the new Glenmore Road School and residence in March 1882. The builder G W Lander was awarded the tender and completed both buildings by July 1883. The school building was built as a single storey in brick with a slate roof. It accommodated 421 pupils and contained both the infants and primary departments. The first pupils commenced attendance at the school in August 1883. The building was originally adorned with a bell tower, which was later demolished.

John Carden was appointed the first headmaster of the school on 27th June 1883 and he took up residence in the new cottage on the grounds. The cottage was constructed as a single storey, brick dwelling with slate roof in the Victorian Italianate style. It consisted of five rooms with a kitchen. The cottage continued to be used as a residence until about the 1970s and it remains significant as one of the few existing school residences in the eastern suburbs.

The site of the school was sandy and the terrain uneven. It was not until some years after the school was opened that work began on upgrading the playground. When Cambridge Street was formed in 1886 a retaining wall had to be constructed to secure the landscape. Another retaining wall was built in 1895 between the school and the residence, as well as a new wash house and shed and an entrance gate and steps at Cambridge Street.

Continuing population growth in the area meant that a new building for the infants department was erected in 1902. The two storey building is brick with cement tile roof. Another wing was added in 1910 constructed of red face brick with stucco gable ends also with a cement tile roof. After 1896 the design and supervision of large school buildings was placed under the control of the Government Architect's Branch. It is believed that both the 1902 and 1910 buildings were designed under the direction of the Government Architect, Walter Vernon. Vernon was Government Architect from 1890 to 1911. Both buildings were designed in the Federation Arts and Crafts style.

By 1957 the condition of the old building had deteriorated to such an extent that the Department of Education considered demolition. In the end it was decided to save the building and major repairs and renovations were carried out. The building was under threat again in 1976 when it was damaged by fire. The building was repaired and renovated and a new roof installed. In 2002 tenders for a new library were called. Today there are 262 children enrolled at Glenmore Road Public School."