Heritage Week recalls our good old school days

Council’s annual Heritage Week this year remembers “the old school days” as we celebrate education and its contribution in shaping past and present generations.

Heritage Week will explore the fascinating history of the municipality’s schools until the present day, and the value of formal education to the life of Whitehorse.

Since the establishment of the first school in Whitehorse in the 1860s, formal education has played a key role in the strength and vitality of the municipality: great educational institutions are a reflection of a healthy community invested in its children and young people.

Join Council for free and low-cost events from the 14-21 September.

 Download the full brochure (1.85MB) for more information.

The Heritage Week program includes:

Exhibitions

School Days
Saturday 5 August – Sunday 26 November
Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays 2pm - 5pm
Schwerkolt Cottage and Museum Complex, Deep Creek Road, Mitcham
Free

Local student and school contributions have enabled the creation of this wonderful display of historic school objects, equipment and uniforms.

Remember the Old School Days
Friday 1 September – Saturday 30 September
Tuesdays to Fridays 10am - 4pm & Saturdays 12noon - 4pm
The All Nations Foyer at entrance to Whitehorse Artspace inside the Box Hill Town Hall, 1022 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill
Free

This unique exhibition includes treasured school memorabilia, photographs, school stories and more from all over Whitehorse.

BHCAC Artist in Residence Exhibition – Jihye Min
Tuesday 5 September – Sunday 17 September
9am – 5pm weekdays. Weekend hours may vary. Phone BHCAC 9895 8888 for details.
Box Hill Community Arts Centre, 470 Station Street, Box Hill
Free

Jihye Min’s stunning ceramic vessels act as imaginary containers that hold the treasured stories of families who lived at Schwerkolt Cottage.

Events

Box Hill Town Hall Tour
Thursday 14 September, 10am
Gold coin donation
Bookings essential: 9262 6555

Experience the grandeur of the iconic Box Hill Town Hall as you take a guided tour of this historic building.

Mont Albert Primary School: Celebrating 100 Years
Friday 15 September, 10.30am
Free
Bookings essential: 9262 6555

Join Alan Ritter, school archivist and retired Mont Albert Primary School teacher, as he leads a guided tour and delights with stories of days gone by.

Box Hill Cemetery Tour – Mainly British, they taught us well!
Saturday 16 September, 2pm -  4pm
Cost: $15
Bookings essential: 9262 6555

Tour the resting places of illustrious educationalists buried in the cemetery. Guided by members of the Box Hill and Surrey Hills Historical Societies.

Schwerkolt Cottage Heritage Family Day
Sunday 17 September, 11am - 4pm
Deep Creek Road, Mitcham
Free
More information: Whitehorse Historical Society 9873 4946

Pack a picnic and have a wonderful day out with friends and family enjoying old-fashioned games, pony rides, an animal farm, demonstrations by woodturners, spinners and blacksmiths plus lots more.

Gardiners Creek Walkabout
Monday 18 September, 10am - 12noon
179 Station Street, Burwood
Cost: $15
Bookings essential: 9262 6555

Archaeologist and historian Dr Gary Presland leads a wonderful exploration of the landscape around Gardiners Creek.

Blackburn Lake Sanctuary – Row, row, row your boat!
Tuesday 19 September, 10am - 11.30am
Blackburn Lake Sanctuary Visitor Centre, Central Road, Blackburn
Free
Bookings essential: 9262 6555

Learn about the history of this lovely sanctuary, once a place where picnic crowds would gather for an afternoon of rowing and entertainment.

Blackburn Open Air School
Wednesday 20 September, 2pm - 3pm
Nunawading Library, 379 Whitehorse Road, Nunawading
Free
Bookings essential: Whitehorse Manningham Libraries 9872 8600 or www.wml.vic.gov.au

Enjoy this personal account by Helen Harris, a past pupil of the Blackburn Open Air School – often referred to as a ‘classroom without walls’ – during the 1950s.

Explore Your Family History
Wednesday 20 September, 7:30pm - 9pm
AIGS Offices, 1/41 Railway Road Blackburn
Free
Bookings essential: AIGS 9877 3789 or info@aigs.org.au

Start exploring your family history with advice from the Australian Institute of Genealogical Studies.

Remember Our Old School Days
Thursday 21 September, 10am - 12 noon
Vermont South Library, Pavey Place, Vermont South
Free
Bookings essential: Whitehorse Manningham Libraries 9872 8650 or www.wml.vic.gov.au

Local historian and respected author Gerry Robinson tells of the daily experiences of primary school children over 70 years ago.

School Days of Kerrimuir Primary School
Thursday 21 September, 8pm
Box Hill Historical Society - General Meeting
Strabane Hall, 29 Strabane Avenue, Mont Albert North
Free

Hear recollections of Kerrimuir Primary School from Judith Eadon, one of the first pupils at the school when it opened its doors in 1959.

Image Credits
1. Vermont Primary School n.d, image courtesy Whitehorse Historical Society Inc.
2. BHCAC Artist in Residence – Jihye Min, image courtesy artist
3. Mont Albert Primary 2017, image courtesy Mont Albert Primary School
4. Blackburn Lake n.d., image courtesy Whitehorse Historical Society Inc.
5. Blackburn Open Air School n.d., Blackburn: A Picturesque History, Robyn Da Costa 1978