Graham Street School Centenary – 1989
In 1989 Graham Street Primary School marked its centenary. This badge from the PMHPS collection celebrates the event. We don’t know who drew the picture but Pam Snowden who worked in the office for 40 years remembers that the school’s badge making machine was in high demand by staff and students.
The school is now known as Port Melbourne Primary School and in 2024 turns 135 years old.
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Albert Caton
Graham Street State School No. 2932; 1947-1952
I started primary school at Graham Street State School in 1947, just having turned 5-years old that January. I had spent the previous year at Kindergarten in the bluestone Wesleyan Methodist Church further along Graham St across the railway line towards Bay St, under the charge of the formidable Miss Hopkins who ran the kindergarten there for decades.
First Grade was located adjacent to Clark Street, in the south-eastern wing of the school that backed onto a bitumen assembly area beside the school oval. The teacher was Miss Hemple, something of a harridan. Her classroom was continuous with the Grade 2 room, both spaces able to be joined by moving back a foldable partition.
The Grade 2 teacher was Miss Groves, a less authoritarian soul. During her year, the Class was given the opportunity to take up the recorder, under the instruction of Miss Doherty (no relation to the until-2024 Principal Oboe of the Sydney Symphony). Plastic instruments were comparatively inexpensive, and a sizeable ‘woodwind’ group was formed (lessons and group practice continuing into Grade 4).
Grade 3 was taught by Mrs Gallagher. She introduced our upgrade from pencil to pen-and-ink for writing, and to the use of pastels for art. I’m not sure, but I think woodwork classes began for students in Grade 3. And regrettably, I don’t recall the name of our woodwork teacher.
Grade 4 was taught by Mrs Corbett, who drove a brown Willys sedan. I don’t recall much about her classes—no doubt reading, writing and arithmetic.
I do recall Mr Lyons, our Grade 5 teacher. Tall, wiry and red-headed, he was a fairly strict authoritarian, regularly presiding over School assemblies.
My final year, 1952, was in Grade 6 with Mr Chambers supervising us. He was a little calmer than Mr Lyons, and a good teacher.
The Headmaster during my time at Graham Street was Mr Price, whose office was located at the end of the short corridor off Clark Street under the bell-tower. A fearsome presence at times, he ‘ran a tight ship’.
The school building complex was surrounded by bitumen, with a sports oval to the south. Main assemblies were held on the western side of the school on the area generally regarded as the girls’ playground. Their shelter shed for rainy-day lunch times was adjacent, adjoining the boys’ shelter shed. Lavatories were beyond the sheds, backing onto Walter Street.
Perhaps you might have some additional memories from your or your family’s time at the school.