Old Newcastle School

Old Newcastle School
Old Newcastle School
Former names	Duke Street School, Toodyay Repertory Club, Methodist Church, Uniting Church of Toodyay
General information
Architectural style	Victorian Academic Gothic and Federation
Address	6 Duke Street North
Town or city	Toodyay
Coordinates	31°33′04″S 116°28′04″E / 31.55098°S 116.46780°E / -31.55098; 116.46780
Completed	1887
Renovated	1900
Design and construction
Architect	George Temple-Poole
Main contractor	William Amed Demasson (1887), E.J. Cook (1900)
References

The old Newcastle School is an historic building on Duke Street North in Toodyay, Western Australia. It was the first purpose built school in the new town site of Toodyay (then known as Newcastle), and operated as a school from 1887 to 1954.

The building was constructed in two stages. The original 1886 section is in Victorian Gothic style in red brick with a high pitched gable roof (originally shingle but now corrugated iron) and was designed by architect George Temple-Poole. A classroom extension in Federation style red brick with a low pitched corrugated iron roof and tall chimney was added in 1900.

In 1862, the school at the original Toodyay town site was flooded and the Education Department recommended that a new school be built in the newly gazetted Newcastle town site. From 1873 to 1887 a former policemen's depot cottage, at the back of the former court house on Fiennes Street, was used as a school room.

By June 1885, money had been allocated and the land purchased, construction had begun by March 1886, and the school opened in May 1887. Although the school was described by the Public Works Department plan as a "Boys School", by 1890 both boys and girls were attending.

The original building comprised two classrooms, 36 by 18 feet (11.0 by 5.5 m) and 18 by 12 feet (5.5 by 3.7 m), and a cloakroom. The building was not fenced until at least 1891. The shingled roof was covered by galvanised iron in 1896; the original shingles are still in place.

By 1899 the school was overcrowded, with 102 students in a rooms intended for 50. Further land was acquired and by April 1900 the building had been extended. A larger 67 by 23 feet (20.4 by 7.0 m) room was built onto the front of the building, with "revolving shutters" to allow it to be divided into two separate classrooms. Teacher's quarters, new entrances, lavatories and a new verandah were also added.

The school was connected to the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme by 1908.