Mundijong School
This schoolhouse was built in 1896 after residents campaigned for a school closer to home.
Historical information
Before 1896, the children of Mundijong had experienced the closure of two schools – one five kilometres away from the town on Bunbury Road, and a temporary school near Medulla Brook.
In 1894, locals campaigned for a school to be built close to the town centre. The school opened in September 1896 in the fledgling Mundijong township. In 1927, a second building was constructed on the site. In October 1972, the primary school shifted to Livesey Street.
Physical description
The main school room at the southeast corner comprises a Federation-style timber weatherboard-lad building supported on timber stumps, with a steeply pitched gable corrugated iron roof. There are two brick chimneys on the southern side, one in the centre and the other at the western side, with the brick visible for the length of the building.
The windows form 2x3 metre bays, broken by the central chimney stack, and are triple-pane sash windows.
North of the main room is another timber weatherboard-clad building (1927) with a gable corrugated iron roof, although not as steeply pitched.
Present day
Today, the 1896 school building is used by the Serpentine-Jarrahdale Learning Centre and hosts a toy library. The other building is used by Landcare. Both are of significant historical and social significance, as they may be the oldest school buildings in the shire, as well as one of the earliest timber school complexes still existing in Western Australia.
Further reading and references