State School 1889 opened as West Geelong in 1877 on a Separation Street site. Surging enrolments tested capacity, so a larger site was purchased on the corner of Melbourne Road and Bay Street. A new red-brick building was erected and the school, now known as Geelong North, moved in 1915. The school was closed in 1996 and the grounds became a housing estate. The red-brick building was protected by a council heritage overlay and survived, to be converted into apartments.
Then
Now
Furthermore
The substantial schoolyard was sub-divided to yield 34 separate properties, based around the new St Helens Place. At least the Greater Geelong City heritage overlay achieved its objective, with the original school building easily identified.
Links
North Geelong Primary School – public Facebook group