Artwork by Student Gianni outside the refurbished Nailsworth Primary School of 1881, Corner Thomas Street & Main North Road. South Australia

            Fully refurbished Nailsworth Primary School built 1881, corner Thomas Street and Main North Road. South Australia
*The old Prospect Library building, owned by the Department for Education, was returned to the school at the end of 2019.

All the buildings of the 1800s era have been refurbished.

The first school was Nailsworth Licensed School conducted by Esther Jarvis from 1862 with an average attendance of 16 out of a total enrolment of 21. Henrietta Caldicott succeeded Esther Jarvis.

George Fuller, contractor/mason, purchased the property now known as 15 California Street. It was from this building, still existant in 1980, that his wife, Catherine Fuller continued to operate the school until the end of 1881.

Nailsworth Public School
In August 1880 the public school site of two acres and 29½ perches was sold to the Minister controlling education.

On March 21 1881, Mr Tom Burnett, a mason and contractor of O'Connell Street, North Adelaide signed contracts to erect the school for accommodation of 250 children with a residence adjoining for the headmaster, to the value of £2,554/2/1. Two classrooms and two schoolrooms with ceilings 19 feet high constructed out of Dry Creek stone and brick: a Mintaro slate floor was specified for the girls' "lavatory hats and cloaks": the headmaster's residence was a three bedroom layout with 'mod cons.' of the day.

The building was due for completion in October 1881, and from 1882 John R Peate was Head Teacher with an average enrolment of 191 children.

In 1889, the head master was Captain Cherry, who was known as a disciplinarian most probably due to his former career as a military officer. Every morning before lessons he would have pupils show hands, back and front and inspect boots and shoes. Apparently the school yard was very long because boys playing at the bottom of the yard had to run at the sound of the first bell to reach assembly point by second bell.

Average attendance was 210. In 1892 the first of a number of additions was made to cater for the growing needs of the school. In 1896 Alfred H Neale was Head Teacher and average attendance had almost doubled to 509. George Gill was Head Teacher in 1900 and is believed to be the last Head to live in the adjoining residence. At this time attendance seems to have stabilised around the 480 mark. John J Stephen took charge in 1909.

In May 1917, additional land was bought on the Balfour Street frontage. The school progressively expanded and in 1926 became a combined primary and high school. In 1929 an infant school was added.

In 1938 two additional blocks of land were purchased in Thomas Street. In 1942 the high school was placed under separate administration. With re-modelling and the addition of temporary wooden classrooms, it was divided into a boys’ and girls’ technical high school. Later the boys' high school moved to a modern building in Regency Road and in the 1970s the girls' high school also transferred there. The primary and infant section took over the school campus, sharing with the Department of Further Education Adult classes.

* On July 18 1930, the school was the scene of excitement when four prisoners, who had escaped from Yatala Labour Prison, crashed their stolen car on Main North Road near the school. They fled on foot through the schoolgrounds and children were made to crouch under their desks. One prisoner was captured at the school.

Reference: Prospecter (Fitzroy SA)1 February 1980 article by Kris Barnett.

*In 1980 Prospect Public Library was established in a restored and remodelled section of the original Nailsworth Public School. That library is now located within the City of Prospect complex on Prospect Road.

Taken on: June 9, 2025

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D7500 « less

Sets appears in: • Nailsworth, Prospect - Metropolitan Adelaide South Australia

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Camera: Nikon D7500, f/8.0, 1/320 sec, 18mm (=27mm), ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon D7500
Aperture:	f/8.0
Exposure Time:	0.003 sec (1/320)
Focal Length:	18mm (35mm equivalent: 27mm)
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Auto, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Not Defined
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
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