Clydesdale State School and War Memorial

This gorgeous sandstone building was used as a school from 1867 until 1941, and is now restored and used as a public hall. The hall is available for hire - for more information phone 5476 4253 or 5476 4213.

Clydesdale Public Hall
The former Clydesdale Common School No 900 was erected in 1867. It became a State School in 1872 replacing the earliest school said to have been held in the missionary building located across Jim Crow Creek. Sandstone used in the construction was quarried near the site. The school closed in 1941 and the building is used as a community hall.

Clydesdale State School 900
The first school was held in a Missionary Building across the Jim Crow Creek about 20 yards from the post office on the Newstead-Daylesford Road.

SS900 now closed for many years, is situated 150 yards from the junction of the Newstead-Daylesford Road on the Yandoit Hills Road, in the Parish of Yandoit, county of Talbot, 6 miles from Newstead.

The building is a very attractive sandstone structure measuring 33 feet x 22 feet. The stone was quarried within 200 yards of the site.

Population came to the area with the rush for alluvial gold about 1853. When the gold gave out mixed farming on small properties developed. Following the gold rush, families who attended the school included Ramseys, Ritters, McPhersons, Tonkins, Garseds, Morrisons, Evans', Yourns', Birkins', Lockers', Lorraines', Reeces', Khans', Tainshs', Branchs', Fairless', Higgins', Goates' and Hirds'. Enrolments over the years varied from 50+ to very few. Mrs. Henry Hird was the Head Mistress of the school for 21 years.

The building remained unused until threatened by demolition when it was purchased by Public subscription to be maintained as a Hall and named the Richards Hall in tribute to a former local centenarian Isabella Richards (Garsed). In 1968 a new floor was installed to the building. In 2007, with financial assistance made available from the State Government, Heritage Victoria and the Hepburn Shire, under the guidance of the Committee, local volunteers contributed 3,000 hours work to renovate the building. These renovations were open to the public in 2009.

Over the years it has been used for various functions including weddings, funerals, Council meetings, Polling Booth, family gathers and the ever popular New Years' Eve dances. Those in attendance danced to the music of local identities including Bertie Wallace, Keith and Ernie Ramsey, Edna Ireland (Ramsey), Dave Jones, Jack Heagney, Maurie Gervasoni, the Ebery brothers, Ivan Myhill, Mervyn Lorraine, Dave Barkla and Brian Priest MC.



A granite war memorial to honour locals who served in the wars is maintained on the grounds.

This display was unveiled on by Dorothy Kinross (Garsed), on behalf of surviving students Alma Camilleri (Evans), Florence Holland (Birkin), Betty Danby (Garsed), Joyce Roberts (Locker), and Iris Jones (Ritter), in memory of past students, teachers and committee members. The Hepburn Shire Mayor, Cr Sebastian Klein, officially declared open the rotunda which was erected in 2016.

Research and history compiled by Joan Sartori (Ramsey) to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Clydesdale School/Community Hall.