2022 marks St Augustine’s Primary School’s 70th year anniversary. Whilst Covid restrictions might hamper any large-scale celebrations to commemorate this momentous occasion for our fantastic school, the aim is to provide some great information via digital platforms about our school’s rich history. Start exploring this site to learn more about our fabulous school and its journey. New content will be regularly added over the course of the year, together with ways that we may be able to acknowledge this special anniversary, so make sure you check back often!
St Augustine’s Primary School celebrates 70 years!
Early Beginnings
The suburb of Rivervale began as a post-war State Housing Commission development. The area was predominately semi rural and consisted of dairies, pig and chicken farm-lets.
The "hut" was initially utilised as a temporary church. It was purchased from the Melville military camp for 200 pounds in 1945, dismantled and re-erected on the west side of Newey St (originally Salisbury Rd). The total cost of this work together with plumbing, painting and seats was just over 650 pounds.
On Sunday, 12 December 1945 the Archbishop blessed and opened the building as St Augustine's Church Hall.
In 1952 the Sisters of Mercy established the first Catholic Primary School with 40 children up to Year 3- then growing to 110. Each week, Church furniture had to be removed after the Sunday masses and desks etc had to be arranged for lessons. This continued until the church and presbytery was constructed in 1955. In 1956 the school was passed over to the Presentation Sisters who agreed to staff the school to Year 7 (boys to Year 4).
Additional classroom areas were created using the verandas of the “HUT” to accommodate the growing number of children. A new building was needed and the construction of the ground floor of the permanent school was completed in 1956. It consisted of 3 classrooms, plus store/office with furniture made by parents and parishioners.
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