| Tharwa Primary School | |
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| Location: | Tharwa, Australian Capital Territory |
| Postcode: | 2620 |
| Country: | Australia |
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| Type: | Primary school |
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| Website: | (inactive) |
Tharwa Primary School was a primary school in the small village of Tharwa, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. It was built in 1898 and opened in 1899.[1] The school had two classrooms for the primary school, plus a preschool room. While the current school dates from 1912,[2] the site of the school made it the oldest operating school in Canberra until its closure in 2006. The first Parents and Citizens committee was established in 1931.[3]
The first pupil enrolled on 9 August 1899 and the centenary of this event was celebrated by a town ball and the launching a book A Century of Learning: Tharwa Primary School by historian Matthew Higgins.[4] At that time the school only operated on a part-time basis.[5]
In 2006 the government announced it would close Tharwa Primary School by the end of December 2006.[6] An attempt was made to open a private school on the site, but the proposal was thwarted by new restrictions on private schools, enacted by the Legislative Assembly in December 2006.[7] Community attempts to save or reopen the school continued, with the last blog post on the dedicated campaign site being posted in September 2007.[8]
The Tharwa Preschool is still operating. The school and the surrounding community traditionally host an annual Tharwa Bush Fair.[9]