Historical information

This photograph depicts a group of school students in 1937 standing outside a red-brick school building. The school itself is the Beechworth Higher Elementary School (H.E.S) which opened in 1912 along side the Beechworth Technical School. The school saw many students over the years and were prideful of their successful students. The school produced many university graduates which highlighted their pride in both the students that passed through and the teaching staff.

These schools were also quite progressive in the sense that they sought to expand the teaching curriculum and education system. Girls from both the H.E.S and the Technical School had the opportunity to study subjects other than cooking while prioritising the interests and futures of students to best prepare them for Universtiy or the workforce they sought to join.

Despite these schools opening at the same time, their relationship was somewhat strained. Some staff members site the lack of coordination and friction between the schools as a catalyst for the Technical Schools' closure in 1930, while others blame the lack of interest by parents alongside the steady decrease of students applying and attending the school as the main reason for its closure. It is unclear if or when the Beechwroth H.E.S had closed or whether it has been renamed over time, yet it is clear how integral its role was in the development of Beechworth and its community, as well as the Victorian education system of the time period.

Significance

This postcard is of great historic significance as it depicts a time period and setting that is integral to the growth and legacy of Beechworth. Beechworth has evolved and grown from a small rural town to a centre for widespread economic and social development. With the mass migration which accompanied the gold rush, the need for schools and other institutions arose. It is of great importance to record these events and developments in order to preserve and remember the past.

Physical description

Black and white rectangluar postcard printed on card, unmounted.

Inscriptions & markings

Obverse:
Beechworth / H.E.S / 1937

Reverse:
N.R.McGeehan, / (Flashlight Specialist) / 154 HOTHAM ST., / ST KILDA. S. 2 /
POST CARD / CORRESPONDENCE / ADDRESS ONLY /
KODAK / AUSTRAL / KODAK / AUSTRAL / A
2666