LAKE TOOLBRUNUP SCHOOL

In 1902 the Aylmore, Groves, Hams and Parnell Families, being the early settlers in the Toolbrunup District, approached the Education Department for a school to be built in the area, as there were at least 15 children requiring education.

Their request was declined, so the families decided to erect a building themselves. They did receive a ten pound ($20) grant from the Department to assist with the costs of building a new school.

The land on which the school is built was donated by Mr. W.G. Hams and all the families contributed to the construction of the school building. The stone chimney was built by the Aylmore family. The school building was completed in 1903 at the corner of Pootenup and Toolbrunup Roads.

The first teacher to teach at the new Lake Toolbrunup school was Miss Carrie Bentick in 1904.
 

EARLY VIEW OF LAKE TOOLBRUNUP SCHOOL
 

There was no accommodation available on site for the teachers so they boarded with various local families. One of the early teachers actually had a tent pitched in the reserve surrounding the school. Through the course of the 44 years that the school was used it had been shut down a few times due to lack of numbers of students and also because of teacher shortages. Through the years, to the best of our knowledge, there were approximately 86 students that attended the school and 30 teachers.

There were many forms of transport that the students used from walking, push bikes, horse back and sulky. Many students had large distances to travel to and fro each day and on top of their chores to do at home each day, these made for very big days. Due to the period that the school was open there were quite a few second generation students.

The school finally closed in 1948 when a school bus was made available to transport the children into the Tambellup Primary School.

Known as TOOLBRUNUP SCHOOL   1904 - 1937

1904          Teacher         BENTICK  Carrie          Teacher

CERTIFICATE AWARDED TO EDWARD AYLMORE 1904
 

1905         Teacher          McROBERTS  Bella            Head Teacher

CERTIFICATE AWARDED TO EDWARD AYLMORE 1905
 

1906          Teacher         HELFENSTEIN  Victoria F. Head Teacher on Supply

1907         Teacher          MILLAR  Thomas B.         Head Teacher

1908          Teacher

1909          Teacher         PATTERSON  George H.   Head Teacher

1910          Teacher        ALLWOOD  Frederick       Head Teacher

1911          Teacher        MONTGOMERY  Eileen      Head Teacher

1912          Teacher        MONTGOMERY  Eileen      Head Teacher

1913          Teacher        DAWSON  Emily               Head Teacher

1914          Teacher        IVISION  May                 Head Teacher

1915          Teacher        CAHILL  Ernest                Head Teacher

1916          Teacher        CAHILL  Ernest                Head Teacher

LAKE TOOLBRUNUP SCHOOL 1916
Left -Right:  WESLEY BURRIDGE, LESLEY BURRIDGE, IRENE BURRIDGE (Sitting), PHILIP McGLIN,  
AUDREY SNYDER, EDGER BURRIDGE, PHILLIP SEARLE

1917          Teacher        WHITE  William S.             HeadTeacher on Supply

Known as TOOLBRUNUP SIDING SCHOOL  1918 - 1925

1918          Teacher        CASS  Alice                    Head Teacher

1919          Teacher        CASS  Alice                   Head Teacher

1920          Teacher        JOHNSON  Jessie G.        Head Teacher

1921          Teacher       Peacock  Una                Head Teacher

1922          Teacher       Peacock  Una                 Head Teacher on Supply

1923          Teacher       BYMES  Annie E.             Head Teacher on Supply

1924          Teacher       BYMES  Annie E.             Head Teacher

1925          Teacher       REILLY  Nancy B.            Head Teacher

1926          Teacher       McGREGOR  Jessie           Head Teacher on Probation

1927          Teacher       McGREGOR  Jessie          Head Teacher on Probation

1928          Teacher       McGREGOR  Jessie          Head Teacher on Supply

1929          Teacher       McGREGOR  Jessie          Head Teacher on Probation

1930          Teacher      HALL  Eileen                   Head Teacher on Probation

1931          Teacher      GWYTHER  Eva               Head Teacher

1932          Teacher      GWYTHER  Eva               Head Teacher

1933          Teacher      SENIOR  Mary                Head Teacher on Supply

1934          Teacher      SENIOR  Mary                Head Teacher on Probation

1935          Teacher      CAMPBELL  Jessie          Head Teacher

1936          Teacher     CANTWELL  Roland         Head Teacher

1937         Teacher      SMITH  Bernard              Head Teacher on Probation

Known as LAKE TOOLBRUNUP SCHOOL   1938 - 1948

1938          Teacher      VENNING  Robert            Head Teacher on Probation

1939          Teacher      VENNING  Robert            Head Teacher on Probation

1940          Teacher      VENNING  Robert            Head teacher

1941          Teacher     TROBE  Victor                 Head Teacher

1942          Teacher    DANAHER  Robert             Head Teacher

1943          Teacher    DANAHER  Robert             Head Teacher

1944          Teacher    DANAHER  Robert             Head Teacher

1945          Teacher   BIRCH  Erica                     Head Teacher on Probation

1946          Teacher   WATKINS  Robert              Head Teacher

1947          Teacher    NUNAN  Cambell               Head Teacher

1948          Teacher     ALGER  THOMS                Head Teacher

Children that attended the Lake Toolbrunup School:

ANDERSON     George, Neal
ANDERSON     Ivy
AYLMORE       Fred, daisy, Harold, George (Dick), Melville, Walter, Howard (Chum), Arthur, Frank, Len
AYLMORE       Betty, Hilda
AYLMORE       Dave, Eddie, Burt, Jack, Stan
AYLMORE       Charlie, Bill
BURRIDGE      Lloyd
FULLER           Lou
GROVES          Alf, Pearl, Jane, Roy, Jack, Charlie, Edie, Clare, May, Neil, Douglas, George, Bob
GROVES          Eric, Isobel, Lorna, Barbara, Peter, Paul
GROVES          Arthur
GROVES          Gwen, Mervyn, Betty
HAMS              Annie, Ernest, Bertram
HAMS              Kevin, Alex, Wesley
HANKINSON     Jean, Robert, Eleanor (Sally)
HERBERT         Elsie, Margaret, Morgan, Edith, David, Glynn
PARKER           Daisy
PARNELL          Richard, George, Alex, Wally
PARNELL          Viv, Daphne
PARNELL          Andy, Stan (Browny)
ROSSITER        Annie
STURGESS        Brian
STURGESS        Archie, Elvie, Mary
TILBURY          Jim, Gladys, Dorothy
WALLWORK      John
WESTLEY         Elsie
WOLFE            Alice, Ted, Amy