Tatura Primary School No 1441
Established in 1873 soon after the declaration of the township of Tatura, this school replaced a
previous private school at the North end of the town. Opening enrolment was over 60 and the first
teacher, Jeffries. The school building was of crude construction, being described, at a meeting of the
Eastern Riding Board of Advice, Shire of Waranga, as being ‘wholly composed of bark with numerous
cracks and holes, one big enough for a man to enter’. In 1885 a new school was built in a central
position in the town. The present school has recently abandoned this in favour of a more
advantageous site at the South of the town where new brick buildings were built to replace the
weatherboard structure, the main section of which was the 1885 school. Rodney Shire separated
from Waranga Shire in March 1886, and Tatura became the municipal township. The railway had
reached Tatura in 1880, and serviced the developing farming area; irrigation water was provided and
the district continued to develop. Additional building in 1963, 1965 and 1967 marked the increase in
population in recent years, the school becoming Class II in 1953 (HT F. Volk) and Class I in 1966
(Principal L. Todd, B.A.). From the first, women have held office on the School Committee by elective
right, Mesdames Legato and Hector joining four men under Williams (Chairman) in 1909.
In 1918 ex-pupil Robert Mactier was awarded the VC for a brilliantly daring and successful single-
handed attack on three enemy machine-gun posts. The Honour Roll for the first World War records
98 ex-pupils.
http://www.taturaps.vic.edu.au/history.html
previous private school at the North end of the town. Opening enrolment was over 60 and the first
teacher, Jeffries. The school building was of crude construction, being described, at a meeting of the
Eastern Riding Board of Advice, Shire of Waranga, as being ‘wholly composed of bark with numerous
cracks and holes, one big enough for a man to enter’. In 1885 a new school was built in a central
position in the town. The present school has recently abandoned this in favour of a more
advantageous site at the South of the town where new brick buildings were built to replace the
weatherboard structure, the main section of which was the 1885 school. Rodney Shire separated
from Waranga Shire in March 1886, and Tatura became the municipal township. The railway had
reached Tatura in 1880, and serviced the developing farming area; irrigation water was provided and
the district continued to develop. Additional building in 1963, 1965 and 1967 marked the increase in
population in recent years, the school becoming Class II in 1953 (HT F. Volk) and Class I in 1966
(Principal L. Todd, B.A.). From the first, women have held office on the School Committee by elective
right, Mesdames Legato and Hector joining four men under Williams (Chairman) in 1909.
In 1918 ex-pupil Robert Mactier was awarded the VC for a brilliantly daring and successful single-
handed attack on three enemy machine-gun posts. The Honour Roll for the first World War records
98 ex-pupils.
http://www.taturaps.vic.edu.au/history.html
