Mount Victoria Public School and part interiors

Item details


Name of item:	Mount Victoria Public School and part interiors
Other name/s:	Possum’s Patch Child Care Centre
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Education
Category:	School - State (public)
Primary address:	105-107 Great Western Highway, Mount Victoria, NSW 2786
Local govt. area:	Blue Mountains

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
105-107 Great Western Highway	Mount Victoria	Blue Mountains			Primary Address

Statement of significance:


	Mount Victoria Public School is reputedly the oldest public school in the Blue Mountains and has been an integral part of the lives of Mt Victoria's inhabitants for one hundred and twenty five years. The building, which may be considered representative of smaller mid-Victorian school buildings, has aesthetic significance because of its stone detailing, architectural form and massing. The interiors contain sufficient original material dating from the original building and the later additions to retain a sense of authenticity and integrity and contribute to the overall significance. The 1912 schoolhouse building also on the site has been partially incorporated into a newer building but its form is visible externally. Its interior remains intact and is a good representative interior that enhances the building's significance.
	Date significance updated: 21 Jul 21
	Note: The State Heritage Inventory provides information about heritage items listed by local and State government agencies. The State Heritage Inventory is continually being updated by local and State agencies as new information becomes available. Read the Department of Premier and Cabinet copyright and disclaimer.

Description


Physical description:	Former Headmaster's residence c.1877 (B00C) The original stone building at Mount Victoria Public School is a single storey building with a hipped and gabled roof. The steeply pitched roof is covered with corrugated iron. A small gable roofed porch projects from the north eastern corner of the building, while a hipped roof verandah runs across part of its northern side. The verandah roof is supported off timber posts, while the structure is enclosed at its western end and has a timber balustrade. The main gable contains a plaque inscribed with the date "1877". Beneath are two windows separated by a rusticated pier, as are the stone window reveals and quoins at the corners of this part of the building. Windows are generally timber framed double hung multi paned sashes. There is a tall stone chimney on the eastern side and two stone chimneys on the western side of the building. The interiors of the 1877 former Headmaster's residence have been sympathetically restored. Many walls are bare stone, while others have been rendered and/or plastered. Door joinery appears to have been generally reconstructed and/or repaired in the original footprint. Where the verandah has been enclosed, bare stone external walls and windows remain internally. A fireplace remains with an original chimney breast and a later timber mantel c.1915. In some rooms there are fibro and batten ceilings likely dating around the time of the rear wing additions c.1930s. In the later rear wing additions and verandah there are timber lining boards to ceilings and verandahs. There is a small sandstone toilet/outbuilding within the curtilage and garden setting of the stone former residence. It is roughly square with a timber door and a corrugated iron roof. It is located towards the south elevation near the school entrance gates. 1912 Schoolhouse (B00A) The 1912 Schoolhouse building is now partially subsumed by a later building, however it is still visible externally on three elevations. The building is a large brick single-storey structure with two large classrooms internally. The building has a simple gable roof. The end bay to the east is marked by three large double-hung windows with fanlights over, all with multi-paned glass. There are brick arches to each window with rubbed brickwork. The interiors are generally intact, with timber lining boards to the ceilings, likely timber floorboards under the carpet, rendered walls with large double-hung timber windows. There is a large timber dado rail, original timber doors with glazed fanlights over and timber architraves. The doors likely led to a previous verandah now demolished. Timber windows and face brickwork are still visible in the now-internal fourth elevation (facing west).
Modifications and dates:	1877 former Headmaster's residence: Addition of gable roofed weatherboard structure on western side. Brick chimney at south eastern corner Enclosed verandah or skillion roofed addition on southern side of the building. Finials in gable ends modified
Further information:	The Blue Mountains Local Government Area is within the Country of the Darug and Gundungurra peoples and Blue Mountains City Council respects their cultural heritage and deep ongoing connection to this Country. This inventory sheet documents the European occupation of the site only, and the heritage significance of the place in this context (assessed against the heritage criteria set by the NSW Heritage Council). This does not therefore, represent a complete history of the place, or represent the perspectives of Darug and Gundungurra Traditional Owners in relation to the colonial impacts on this site. Consultation with Traditional Owners and other Aboriginal stakeholders is required, before Aboriginal Cultural Heritage that may be associated with this place, can be recorded.


Current use:	Public school
Former use:	Public school

History

Historical notes:

A public school was opened at Mt Victoria in 1868 for the education of the children of workmen engaged on the construction of the railway and the Zig Zag. It was known as the One Tree Hill school, as the area was commonly known by that name then (Isles, p4). However, the existing stone building was completed some years later in 1877.

The eastern portion of the school grounds were part of the large land holding of William and Jane Beaumont, a large amount of which was transferred to Jane Beaumont in August 1896. The land had been leased to Mrs Fanny Tabrett in 1891. In 1910 it passed into the possession of two Sydney accountants, Thomas Gillespie and James Steel. The pair began to sell off allotments of the land at the end of 1910. On 18 October 1914 the title to some 12 lots was transferred to the Crown for the purposes of "public instruction" (LTO 1198-127).

Historic themes

Australian theme (abbrev)	New South Wales theme	Local theme
6. Educating-Educating	Education-Activities associated with teaching and learning by children and adults, formally and informally.	(none)-

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	Mount Victoria Public School is reputedly the oldest public school in the Blue Mountains and has been an integral part of the lives of Mt Victoria's inhabitants for one hundred and twenty five years.
SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	The building has aesthetic significance because of its stone detailing, architectural form and massing. The interiors contain sufficient original material dating from the original building and the later additions to retain a sense of authenticity and integrity and contribute to the overall significance. The 1912 schoolhouse building also on the site has been partially incorporated into a newer building but its form is visible externally. Its interior remains intact and is a good representative interior that enhances the building's significance.
SHR Criteria d) [Social significance]	The school has been an integral part of the lives of the people living in Mt Victoria for one hundred and twenty five years.
SHR Criteria g) [Representativeness]	The building may be considered representative of smaller mid Victorian school buildings.
Assessment criteria:	Items are assessed against the State Heritage Register (SHR) Criteria to determine the level of significance. Refer to the Listings below for the level of statutory protection.

Recommended management:

Original internal fabric should be retained in any future development. This includes timber floorboards, timber ceiling lining boards, timber joinery such as door leafs and architraves, fibro and batten ceilings, fireplaces including chimney breasts, mantels, grates and hearths. Further original internal fabric may be concealed beneath more recent layers. At the time of any new work or refurbishment, care should be taken during any demolition to ensure possible original or early layers or evidence that is currently concealed is not damaged or removed. If original material is uncovered it may be worthy of investigation, retention, protection and/or conservation. This is dependent upon the significance and condition of the fabric. An opportunity should be taken to record any early evidence and/or provide interpretation if retention is not possible, with records such as photos/notes (hard copy or digital) informally submitted to Council to the attention of Council's heritage advisor.

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number
Local Environmental Plan	Blue Mountains Local Environmental Plan 2015	MV014	26 Mar 21	139
Local Environmental Plan - Lapsed	LEP2005	MV014	07 Oct 05	122
Local Environmental Plan - Lapsed	LEP1991	MV014	27 Dec 91	183
Heritage study		MV014

Study details

Title	Year	Number	Author	Inspected by	Guidelines used
Blue Mountains Heritage Study	1983	MV014	Croft & Associates Pty Ltd & Meredith Walker		Yes
Building & other works/relics Blue Mountain Heritage Study Review	1992	MV014	Lester Tropman & Associates		No
Technical Audit BM Heritage Register	2008	MV014	Blue Mountains City Council	City Planning Branch	No
Technical Review	2010		Heritage Advisor		No
Heritage Review 2016-2017	2017	MV014	Blue Mountains City Council	SR	Yes

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title	Internet Links
Written		1896	Certificate of Title, Register Book Volume 1198 Folio 127
Written	Ebena Isles	1982	One Tree Hill

Note: internet links may be to web pages, documents or images.

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Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Local Government
Database number:	1172126

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