While people were heading to Victoria from all over the World to find their riches on the goldfields, 1855 also saw the residents of the Mickleham area opening Weslyan School No. 1 in the Weslyan Church building on Mt Ridley Road. The enrolment was 48 children, being 22 boys and 26 girls. Through donations from Mr. Saunders, the land owner of a large property on Mickleham Road – Risborough Park, the community and the Board of Education built Mickleham Primary School on its current site. The original building was constructed from locally quarried bluestone and remains standing today. In 1883 a weatherboard teacher’s house was constructed.
Mickleham Primary School is one of the oldest schools still operating in Victoria and the oldest school in the Hume municipality. A unique feature of the school is the large stand of mature gum trees that attract a wide range of native birds whose songs are very welcoming.
Over the following 150+ years, student numbers have swelled and contracted as the greater Hume area grew. Mickleham Primary School has been the caretaker for many generations of young children and the many new schools in the north-western Hume municipality. The constant expansion and contraction of the school population has placed the community under tremendous pressure, demanding redefinition of the culture and rebuilding of friendships. To accommodate the growing population, Mickleham Primary School added relocatable buildings until during 2020, there were 18 portable classrooms and many additional buildings.
Until recently, the school property was surrounded by grazing cows, farms and tractors – quite literally a piece of the country in the spreading city. While there are still a few cows and sheep, the landscape is changing rapidly. Due to the complexity of the site – busy roads and poor drainage; serious consideration was given to relocating the whole school to a new site. Then in late 2020, the Department of Education announced a grant to purchase the Hume City Council Tennis Club land beside the school with the intention to build a new school for the Mickleham community. Over the next three years, bespoke buildings were designed and constructed, reflecting the needs of the children and staff. Our teachers work in highly collaborative teams, with team teaching a valued feature of our instructional programs.
Finally, in October 2023, classes began in the three new buildings, to the delight of the entire community. During 2024, the original school site will be re-developed to provide a junior playground, senior playground, sand-play space, a turfed oval and numerous landscaped spaces for children to explore and learn about their natural world. It is hoped that in the not too distant future, funding may become available to allow the school to build a much-needed gymnasium and new basketball courts.
Despite the protracted and disruptive nature of the changes we have experienced, Mickleham Primary School has maintained a strong sense of community. The contributions of every member of our community are valued. We are small enough to truly know every child and develop strong connections with our families. We look forward to welcoming new children and their parents to our Mickleham Primary School family.
