History

Raywood Primary School No. 1844 replaced an earlier school No. 761. This school was established by the Catholic Church and opened on 1st January 1864. The first Headmaster was Dennis O'Shea and remained the Headmaster until 28th February 1877.

By 1874 this school had become so dilapidated and dangerous that parents urged the Department to establish a State School. After many pleas and petitions the new school was finally completed by the end of February. The Raywood State School No. 1844 was officially opened by H.T.John Poer on February 27th, 1877.

It was a brick building measuring 50 feet by 20 feet with a slate roof and cost £552. The enrolment number for 1877 was 159 (87 boys and 72 girls); the average attendance was 93 (51 boys and 42 girls). Water was laid on at the school in 1886. In 1896 H.T. James Taylor requested "...that a movable curtain, say of baize, be hung in the centre of the school so as to separate the upper and lower classes." The answer to this request was that the Department did not supply curtains!!!

Finally, in 1912 a partition of glass was erected to separate the classes. Also that year, a wooden 5-roomed teacher's residence was erected at a cost of £445.

List of Principals since 1877