Former St. Arnaud East School No 2389, 27 Wedderburn Road, ST ARNAUD EAST
27 Wedderburn Road ST ARNAUD EAST, NORTHERN GRAMPIANS SHIRE
![Northern Grampians Shire](http://api.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/img/owner_icons/65.gif)
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![SD 264 - Former St. Arnaud East School No 2389, Wedderburn Road, ST ARNAUD SD 264 - Former St. Arnaud East School No 2389, Wedderburn Road, ST ARNAUD](https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/vhd-images/places/000/074/828.jpg)
![SD 264 - Former St. Arnaud East School No 2389, Wedderburn Road, ST ARNAUD SD 264 - Former St. Arnaud East School No 2389, Wedderburn Road, ST ARNAUD](https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/vhd-images/places/000/074/828.jpg)
Statement of Significance
The former St. Arnaud East School, Wedderburn Road, St. Arnaud East, built in 1909, has significance as an unusual rudimentary late Federation styled pavilion type School building constructed in concrete. It was the first school to be constructed in concrete. The exterior of the building appears to be largely intact.
The former St. Arnaud East State School is architecturally significant at a STATE level. It demonstrates original design qualities of an unusual late Federation styled pavilion School type in a bushland setting. These qualities include the modest scale, single storey height, simple gambrel roof form and the rendered concrete wall construction. Other intact qualities include the rudimentary rendered concrete chimney a terra cotta pot, wide eaves with exposed timber rafters, cement lintels and the timber framed windows and multi-paned transoms. The round galvanised corrugated iron water tank also contributes to the significance of the place.
The former St. Arnaud East State School is historically significant at a LOCAL level. It is associated with the development of State Education in St. Arnaud from 1909 until 1944. It is locally significant for providing safe refuge for the children during the 1909 bushfire.
The former St. Arnaud East State School is scientifically significant at a STATE level. Its concrete wall construction is rare for a late Federation styled State School building in Victoria.
The former St. Arnaud East State School is socially significant at a LOCAL level. Although no longer used as a school building, it is still recognised and valued by some sections of the St. Arnaud community for its past function.
Overall, the former St. Arnaud East State School is of STATE significance.
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Former St. Arnaud East School No 2389, 27 Wedderburn Road, ST ARNAUD EAST - Physical Description 1
The former St. Arnaud East School building, Wedderburn Road, St. Arnaud East, is situated on sloping ground in a natural bushland setting surrounded by eucalypts and pine trees.
The modest, single storey, rendered concrete, late rudimentary Federation styled pavilion type school building is characterised by a simple gambrel roof form clad in introduced green-toned Colorbond. An early rudimentary rendered concrete chimney a terra cotta pot adorns the roofline. Wide overhangs with exposed timber rafters are features of the eaves. Other early features of the design include the timber framed windows and multi-paned transoms, and the cement lintels. A round galvanised corrugated iron water tank is situated to one side of the building.
The exterior of the building appears to be largely intact. A substantial crack along the full length of the wall and near the window is visible at one end.
Comparative Information:
'The Historic Government Schools: A Comparative Study' report by Richard Peterson in 1993 does not appear to identify other Edwardian and late Federation styled pavilion type State school buildings in Victoria like the St. Arnaud East School. The closest types of school buildings to that of the St. Arnaud East School building are the hip roofed pavilions for infants (constructed between 1901 and 1914) and the Detached pavilion-type classroom (built between 1912 and 1915). Peterson believes that it is the first example of a school constructed of concrete.
The hip roofed pavilions for infants were largely constructed in metropolitan and suburban areas, including Footscray (1909), Albert Park (1912-13), Port Melbourne (1910-11), Brunswick South (1912-14) and Moonee Ponds (1918). These building were much larger with a number of rooms and they had complex hipped roof forms.
The detached pavilion type classrooms were built in suburban and rural areas, including Benalla East, Natimuk (relocated to Deakin University) and Westmere (1916). This latter building is the only pavilion classroom known extant which was erected as the school. These buildings appear to have largely been constructed of timber and had a simple gable roof with large timber framed window openings.
Heritage Study and Grading
Northern Grampians - Shire of Northern Grampians - Stage 2 Heritage Study
Author: Wendy Jacobs, Vicki Johnson, David Rowe, Phil Taylor
Year: 2004
Grading: State
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Former St. Arnaud East School No 2389, 27 Wedderburn Road, ST ARNAUD EASTNorthern Grampians Shire
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House - 'Lexel Lea', 133 Wedderburn Road, ST ARNAUD EASTNorthern Grampians Shire
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