“Where’s that?” is the question I get every time I tell someone where I live and grew up. It’s a quiet small town that is situated 31 km southwest of Sydney and not many people have heard of Hammondville or know about its rich history.
The reason for selecting Hammondville Public School for my project is because of the rich history it has that isn’t known to the students or the community. On my first day going through the schools archives I was shocked to see the amount of photos, original documents and information there is about the school from the time it was opened in 1933. I believe that it’s important for the children that attend the school to know about the history of the school. When speaking to the librarian and deputy principle, I asked what they would like me to do and they both agreed a interactive website for the students would be great.
Let’s start with the history of Hammondville.
When going through the archives, I found a letter titled ‘Aboriginal Tribe of Liverpool’ dated back to 1980, noting “Daruk, Gandangara and Tharawal are tribal names which are not commemorated in any local landmark, even though it is only 170 years since these aboriginal tribes possessed the areas which are now part of Liverpool. Each tribe had its own definite area and was a separate group, vigilantly protecting its own lands from trespass by other tribes. When white settlers came to Liverpool and the Cowpastures, ignorant of and disregarding tribal boundaries, conflict broke out. Six years after Liverpool was founded, the soldiers at the barracks were instructed to protect the settlers from attacks by “hostile natives’.” When R.B.S Hammond visited the area now known as Hammondville, it was empty land and did not have indigenous people there, it was documented that they were run out by white settlers in the late 19th century.
Hammondville was born out of the depression through the vision and persistence of one man: Canon Robert Brodribb Stewart Hammond (1870-1946). On the 12th February 1931, he called a meeting at St Barnabas Church (located on Broadway, Sydney) for married men who wished to apply for the kind of accommodation which he proposed to provide. The Church filled to over flowing and as a result 800 applications were received from people who asked to be allowed to participate in the project. Thousands were left homeless and were destitute during The Great War and the Depression.
The condition for a family’s entry to Hammondville required that they be married, have at least three young children and that the parents were unemployed and evicted or under notice of eviction from their present residence. The homes were not going to be a gift: they had to be paid for on a rent-purchase basis “The project was not intended as a charity, but as an opportunity for people to better themselves by their own hard work.” Hammondville was officially opened by the New South Wales Governor Sir Phillips Games on Sunday 25th November 1932. Canon R.B.S Hammond offered land to the Department of Education for a school.
On May 30th, 1933, the school was officially named Hammondville School, and the building was completed on June 1933. The range of suburbs from which the families came, is surprising, as many people are under the impression that most came from very poor inner suburbs. By August 15th, there were 53 pupils attending the school.
With so many children, two teachers and one class room, turns were taken to use the building. When one teacher was indoors, the other was outdoors. During the Depression, the teachers’ salary was reduced and for one fortnight there was no salary at all. Teaching conditions were extremely difficult, particularly at Hammondville.
Most school equipment had to be provided by pupils. Understandably there was very little equipment. On one occasion a little girl (Arline Cochran, Now Mrs McNab from Batehaven) told Miss Beard that she was going to pull her tooth out on Saturday so the tooth fairy would give her a penny to buy a new book. As Miss Beard (one of the teachers at the school) recorded in her diary “it would be funny if she hadn’t been so terribly in earnest.”
In 1951 more than 157 British children enrolled at the school and British children (mainly English) continued arriving until the early 1970s. The arrival at the school of the first “brits” proved delightful entertainment for the “Hammo Aussies.”
In 1962, British entertainer John Paul Young enrolled in Hammondville Public. He was part of the group of British migrants that settled in Hammondville. Young attended the school and was enrolled in 6th grade. He would entertain the class with his piano accordion. John Hatton, former politician (1973-1995), and Jim Masterton of Masterton Homes also attended Hammondville Public School.
There were photos of drawings that children had made of their school in 1983 and how the school would look like in 2033, showing flying cars, spaceships and rockets. I spoke to one of the teachers who has been at Hammondville since the early 90s and said that children would draw spaceships and futuristic things when thinking about what it would be in the 2033 (image shown below). The school also has a time capsule located next to the library that will be opened in the year 2033 to commemorate the school’s 100th year anniversary.
Quinn Shwan
What a great write up! I have lived in the area since 1993 and nobody ever knows where hammondville is! I also now have kids who attend this school. I will be reading them this article.
Thanks Holly, I have lived in Hammondville since 1997 and can’t see myself living anywhere else this place is truely home. Thank you so much for your feedback.
Awesome history I have lived in Hammondville since 1977 when my parents brought the house just before I was born and attended Hammondville public school I have since brought the family home and now raise my children in the same house and who now attend Hammondville public school.
Wonderful area.
Hi Amy, thank you so much for the comment Amy, Hammondville is such an amazing place to live and writing about it is a pleasure.
What a great article, I have many fond memories of growing up at Hammondville, we were 10 pound Pom’s and originally arrived on East Hills hostel, in 1970 and eventually , mum and dad bought there first home at Hammondville
Thankyou for sharing
My parents were built the first house in our street, now over 50 years ago and they are still there! I went to Hammondville as did my siblings – thankfully I was very aware of the origins of Hammondville and I attribute this to my teachers at the time. Have always been asked the question Hammondville where’s that and sad to say more often then not I just say near Liverpool, or Wattle Grove (newer suburb everyone seems to know)
Hi Kendall, thank you for comment. That is truely amazing, I’ve lived in Hammondville since 1997 and it’s sad that people haven’t heard of Hammondville. Would love to hear more about your time and experiences in Hammondville. Thanks
Hi Jane, it’s fascinating to hear about your families journey to Australia. I would love to hear more about your migration story if you are interested. Thank you for comment.
I grew up in Hammondville, I went to that school from 1980 to 1986. My daughter attended Hammondville school. Its great that they are doing a history on it because it is very true..people really don’t know where Hammondville is. It is amazing hiw much it has changed over the years. I would love to be there when they open the capsule to see what I left in it in 3rd Grade.
Thank you Allison for your comment. This is amazing to hear that your left some things in the capsule, I truely cannot wait to see what people have left in the capsule. Would love to hear more about your time at Hammondville. Thanks
Omg!!! Yes- I remember – I am sure the capsule is after 1983… I have the year book. Wa stour surname Ford in primary school?
Seriously Allison! We were in the same year!!
Hi. I ve lived in Hammo since 1965. My father and mother ran the post office for 40 odd years. I loved the old days. Thanks for the memories.
Hi Graham,
Thank you for your comment really appreciate it. This is amazing to to hear! I remember when the shops were much smaller and good to see how Hammondville has kept its sense of community. I would love to hear more about life in Hammondville. Thanks
That used to be a cute post office a few houses further up from me. It was a commonwealth bank too wasn’t it? Hope I’m allowed to comment here? Jennifer Morton (pike).
Ah …. How great. My parents had the supermarket
I attended Hamondville primary in 1966 for 6 months . I was 11 years old and a British immigrant lodged at hamondville hostel. What a cultural and emotional life change for us pommys. I’m actually writing a children’s novel about my experiences, with this school featuring. Great article.
I think I was in your class if it was 3a or 4a.
Hi Steve!! Thank you so much for commenting here about your experience. How exciting and i’d love to see the novel once published and i’m sure Hammondville public would as well. Quinn S.
Wendy Millott (Maloney)
I started teaching at Hammondville Primary in 1979. I’m still there, such a wonderful school and community.
I attended Hammondville Public School for about six months (May-Nov 1971) in 2nd Grade as an eight year old having arrived as an immigrant from Dublin. We lived on the migrant hostel and then moved to Casula. I thoroughly enjoyed my short time there along with with all the other kids who got the bus in from the hostel each morning.
I wish this history was available on the school’s current website. My sister and I were students in approx. 1970 . As 10 pound poms from the East Hills migrant centre we soon found accommodation in Walder Rd (until it was condemned & demolished). Is there somewhere to share old school photos?
Hi Vicki
Was your sister called Belinda?
Hi, my name is Jennifer (pike) in the days of the immigrants. I had a best friend from Heathcote hostel.
I was born in 1957 and started off school there until high school and lived at 14? Walder rd Hammondville, about 6 houses up on the right from the bus stop at highway end of the street (The road name was changed while I lived there). My mum worked at the nursing home for a while( until one of the patients accused mum of stealing her glass eye. LOL. Time for mum to leave. I used to walk from what was the beginning of Heathcote rd ,right down the other end of hammondville to the nursing home to meet mum after her work , stopping off to play with friends on the way. I have so many memories of the place I still(even 48yrs later) call home. We moved out when I was 15 I still look it up on maps and zoom in even though our house is now gone. It definately had an aura of peace with children, warm milk at the school gate, garbage cans lined up to play vigaro in the entrance driveway and yellow buttercups near the fence in the school yard.. Thankyou. I am so moved and would love to catch up with any from our time. Please feel free to pass on any information needed to contact me. Thankyou jenny
PS: If there are any reunions could someone please let me know. Thanks again
Walder rd Hammondville
My apology. It was 84 Walder RD and the 14 came in on the other name of the road . That name escapes me ATM. jenny
Jenny do you have another sister? I remember the name Pike.
My mum and I moved in with her sister in 1960. We lived in Shepherd Parade which was later changed to Stewart Avenue Hammondville. I was born in 1951. I would love to have school photos to show my kids, grandkids and great grandkids but they were all destroyed. I want a picture of the one bedroom house we lived in. I have some pictures but no full ones. A lot of memories for me. I met John English and his parents there, we would go to plays in Sydney at Her Majestys Theatre. Oh wow it is all flooding back now. Thank you, God Bless you dear lady
I was 9 when I went to hammondvill school the only dutch kid from east hills hostel
when we got of the boat in Sydney we were put on a bus and taken to a hostel near windsor
full of german and dutch imigrants, my dad asked to be taken to east hills hostal, when asked
why he wanted to go there he replied. they speak english, from the day we landed in sydney
to last payment on our little fibro house in maquarie fields was 14 years, a thing i still can’t beileve
how brave these people were so there kids could have a better life, and boy did we have that. till the day
my father died i thanked him for the greatest gift anybody could pass on to there children.
In 1970 I taught 3rd class at Hammondville Public, my first teaching appointment, as “Miss Martin” – I was “green” and nervous! I boarded with Mrs Jewell next door to the school until I married in August that year! but kept coming until the end of the year. I appreciated the Deputy Head Mr ? (does anyone remember?) who looked after me. There are some fond memories of my class, though sadly, specifics allude me.
If you think you were in my class I’d love to know and have you share a memory with me (even an unpleasant one . . .) It was the Bicentenary of the “discovery” of Australia in 1770 with the excitement of Cpt Cook etc, and I loved the great project work done by students. Can anybody tell me if the current front building of the school was built on the house block next door? Mrs Jewell’s house was next door to the school and I thought hers was no.59 Walder Rd but when I look on Google maps the house next door is no.61. Does anybody know about this?
Hi Jenny,
The Parkinson family lived at number 61.
The Jewel family lived number 63 and our wonderful George Payne lived at number 65 .
Mr wells headmaster, & a young male teacher in 6th class 1969
We had an open day where we sang morningtown by the seekers.
Steele Lambert, Margaret Laverne,Luigi spiteri, only names I recall
Also…doing “all bound for morning town”song at the open day & the emperor has no clothes.
Ink blots, long bus ride to heathcote hostel where the canteen was burned down. gorgeous Italian people in the immigrant hut next to ours.
First encounter with a gigantic moth walking under the bathroom door & at 11 years old not knowing if it was a predator to me.
Mr wells became headmaster of my sister’s school in Macquarie fields
Never saw anyone I knew from hammondville after going to Liverpool girls high.
Pity …I’d love a photo
How can I go about finding any school records or photos from the 1930’s era? My mother and her siblings would have attended the school in Hammondville from 1937 when they moved there from Lakemba after being evicted. I have no school photos of mum, who passed away last year (2021). I’d love to find her name on a school roll or a photo if possible.
We moved there in 1951 when I was 4 years old. I went to Hammondville Public school from Kindergarten to sixth class along with my other 5 siblings. We lived in Shepherd Parade long before it was changed to Stewart Avenue. I have so many wonderful memories of school life, Saint Anne’s Church & the building of the nursing home right behind our home. Our home was amongst the older peoples units. I used to help out by doing shopping for them so they didn’t have to walk up the hill to the General Store, Butcher Shop & the Greengrocers, they would give me. Sixpence for my efforts. I loved hearing their stories and my favourite “oldies” were Mr & Mrs Lane. I also remember stealing apples 🍎 from Mr & Mrs Keep because the older kids egged me on.
Suzanne/ so beautiful / this is similar to
My story in the 1980s…. I used to take boxes of tissues and chocolates from my parents supermarket on my bike down to the elderly home…I used to live at 5 Stewart Ave and then 4 Norman Ave…. My parents supermarket used to seek so so huge …. I would roller skate down the isles… returning now it is tiny
Hello my name is GREGORY MANN my great grandparents were Mr and Mrs Goodwin from Hammondville Walder RD They were some of the first descendants to be housed there under the Pioneer Homes scheme early 1930s and lived in the area till there death any information you have on them and family descendens would be of great interest to me thank you GREGORY MANN
gcmann59@gmail.com
0400590086
My late father, Eric Pritchard was one of the first students at Hammondville PS in the early 30s. My late Mum, Joan Pritchard was one of the longest serving school cleaners and retired in 1986 on her 60th birthday. Her story and photo are in the time capsule. My grandparents lived just a few houses down from the school in Walder Road and were one of the first families there and my family, The Pritchards lived at the beginning of Walder Road. All 8 of us attended Hammondville PS. So many friendships formed that still exist today 55 + years ago. More for other family members as im no7 of 8. Picnics down at Georges River near Hammondville Homes, Sunday school at the local church. It was fun….