24 January 2025

Caulfield Primary in Glenhuntly Road, one of the many Victorian Gothic schools built after compulsory primary education was introduced in 1872. This one is noted for its projecting rounded bay for the masters office, further emphasised by the cute little tower, both with original glazed flat roof tiles (and a bit hidden by trees).

The school started here in 1877 in a much smaller thing, I think the bit to the right, but it doesn’t quite match the early photo I found on Facebook from an exhibition – maybe it was the other end ? It had perhaps too many ‘jerkinhead’ roofs, those extra little hip roofs, the end ones must have been later removed. The tower and presumably the larger part were added in 1891. Like all schools the design is attributed to chief architect Henry Bastow, though he had a big staff, and the schools are nearly all mix-n-match of various ideas from a competition held in 1872, or developed soon after. But maybe he himself came up with the bay and tower seen here. There’s also a magnificent gum tree.

• Uncategorized