YACKANDANDAH PRIMARY SCHOOL SITE
39 HIGH STREET YACKANDANDAH, INDIGO SHIRE
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Statement of Significance
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YACKANDANDAH PRIMARY SCHOOL SITE - History
Local knowledge suggests that there was a cemetery at the primary school at the corner of Wellsford and High Streets, which in the 1850s was the site of the Church of England school. This account cannot be proved or disproved.
According to the Yackandandah history by Reynolds (1988:36), until the First cemetery at Yackandah was set up in 1859 in the present location to the north east of town; most burials probably took place in the bush, or on the properties of settlers.
However, there are unsubstantiated accounts that it is also possible that people were buried on Church grounds and it is known that the Church of England occupied land on the present school site (Reynolds 1988:12, Yackandandah Plan 1856). The 1856 Township Plan of Yackandandah intriguingly shows the location of several small rectangles to the north east of the Church of England Reserve within Section 5, either hut sites or something smaller (burials?). The plan also shows the location of the church and other features that partly fall north of the current extent of school buildings. According to Reynolds, the Primary School was set up in 1855 on this land. It was a slab and shingle hut, which continued to be used for services during Sundays.
In 1864 the Government proclaimed it a Common School and in 1871, the land adjoining the school, including a brick building, was purchased for 640 pounds and by 1873, the Yackandandah School was described by the District Inspector Craig as 'the most respectable school in the district'(Reynolds 1988: 12). An infant room was added in 1902 (Reynolds 1988:14) and even though other restorations meant that the by 1916, the rebuilding of the school was approaching completion' there seems to have been a large number of changes since the early 20th century. A photo of the school in Reynolds (1998:15) shows that most of the land around the site was relatively bare and this has changed considerably in more recent years.YACKANDANDAH PRIMARY SCHOOL SITE - Interpretation of Site
The extent of the present day school buildings is much greater than during the later 19th early 20th century, and it is likely that the construction of these has destroyed most of the remains of structures dating prior to the 1860s. However, the school yards and land north of the school continues to be abandoned and impact to ground is much less. The grounds are part of the local planning schemes conservation area HO180 and the school building itself has been listed HO202, so that there is protection over the whole area. Some of the features indicated in the 1856 may fall into backyards of the Hammond street allotments, north west of the school.
YACKANDANDAH PRIMARY SCHOOL SITE - Archaeological Significance
The school grounds and adjoining all allotments are of high significance, with a relatively high potential fro further sub-surface archaeological remains of some of the earliest educational and religious establishments in Yackandadah and in the Indigo Shire in general. At least part of the school grounds are relatively intact and based on the location of buildings in the 1856, have a strong potential for sub-surface remains. However, this depends on the extent of subsurface disturbance from building construction and service installation in the site.
YACKANDANDAH PRIMARY SCHOOL SITE - Historical Significance
The school grounds and adjoining all allotments are of medium significance as the former location of the Church of England, the grounds that contained the earliest full time Primary school in locale, as well as the potential location of the earliest cemetery in Yackandandah.
Heritage Inventory Description
YACKANDANDAH PRIMARY SCHOOL SITE - Heritage Inventory Description
The site is the location of the Yackandandah Primary School (Number 1103) and the former location of the Church of England and an earlier slab and shingle school. Local knowledge also suggests that the school grounds occupy the location of an earlier cemetery, but this is not possible to disprove or prove this on the basis of current historical research. The present school buildings are of good condition, but most of the school site has been levelled and dressed. However, at least some of the land lies above the level of the road suggesting that former surfaces may be intact. There are no visible features of the Church of England School, but present primary school buildings which post-date the Church of England School are extant.
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SG DEANS GROCERY AND HARDWARE STOREVictorian Heritage Register H0368
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BRIDGEVictorian Heritage Register H1428
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YACKANDANDAH COURT HOUSEVictorian Heritage Register H1490
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