Angle Vale Primary school

Angle Vale school has moved about in its first years of existence. The first school in the area was at Carclew.  In 1850 a three roomed brick cottage with a school room attached was built there.  This was used for church services and later for school purposes.  John Tregenza was the first school master.  He arrived in South Australia on 14^th January 1855.  It is presumed he opened the school in the same year.  Parents of students paid 1 s per week for each child attending school.  The Government of the day paid 6d per week for destitute students.  Mr Tregenza also held night classes for those unable to attend during the day.

In 1859, John Tregenza left Carclew to organise a school at Woodville at the request of Mr Hughes a member of the Education Board, the school at Carclew was closed.  Later he went to Port Gawler school, situated on the Buckland Park property at Virginia. 

The Ebenezer Chapel was opened in 1864 and soon afterwards a Mr Tupper conducted a school in the new building but did not stay long enough to get it firmly established.  Miss Swales took over and conducted the school until her marriage to Mr Quinn, Harbour Master at Port Adelaide. 

Then came Mrs Ann Crisp, who first taught in the chapel and later used her own residence next door.  In 1868, according to official records, the Board of Education report mentions the school and shows her as Head Teacher. 

Mrs. Crisp the school teacher, who lived near the church, was the first post mistress.  Mrs. Crisp before her marriage to Tom Crisp was a widow with a daughter, Annie Humphrey.  Annie Humphrey has been credited with suggesting the name ‘Angle Vale’.  Mrs Ann Crips was also Post Office mistress and when a new name was needed by the Post Office authorities as “Gawler Plains’ was too general and given to such a large area.  Mr John Patterson, chairman of the District Council called for suggestions and Annie’s suggestion was chose. 

Following Mrs Crisp came a bearded gentleman, Richard Symonds.  The school was located in Heaslip’s hut and later across the road in a hut known as ‘Bemjamin Barnett’s”.

The new school was built by public subscription, subsidised by the Government through the District Council.  Benjamin Heaslip gave the land and it was opened in March 25^th 1874, by Mr J.S Underdown, Chairman of the District Council of Munno Para West.

The opening was a day of great rejoicing, typical of the period.

After the passing of the Education Act in 1875 the Government took full control of the school and compensation was paid to those residents who had contributed to its cost.

It was during Don Lindner's term as Head Teacher that the first modern building was opened at the school, this was in 1958. The old school room became part of the residence until it again had to be used as a classroom to accommodate the additional intake of 1966, this increase was to continue.

In 1968 the school became "Angle Vale Primary School" and a class five Head Teacher was appointed with enrolments now at 68. With the ever increasing settlement of the Adelaide Plains, and the increasing interest in the area for Market Gardening, Piggeries etc, enrolments increased dramatically over the years to 323 students.

Angle Vale Primary School has undergone a vast number of changes over the last 27 years. The first telephone was installed in 1968. In 1970 the original classroom and adjoining residence were demolished because they were considered unsafe and condemned. It wasn't until two years later that any  permanent classrooms were established in the existing site of Angle Vale Primary School. In 1988 the first major redevelopment of the school began due to the increasing number of transportable additions and ever increasing enrolments. This redevelopment incorporated the existing green demac buildings and extensive landscaping.

In late 1994 demographic statistics indicated that one of the preferred options for dealing with future population increases in the Munno Para West area could be the redevelopment of the Angle Vale Primary School to cater for 550 students.  Subsequently this proposal was put to the Principal (Geoff Cobbledick) and School Council (Lou Marafioti). After consultation with School Council & community the brief was proposed to the Government by Officers of Facility Management and was approved by cabinet late 1994 at a cost of 2.6 Million dollars. The present redeveloped school and recreational facilitates is an incredible asset and achievement for Angle Vale Primary School and Community.