Ryde Public School

Government architects

G.A. Mansfield (1877 building); W. Kemp (1892 building); R.M.S. Wells (1919)

Builder

George Coutes and Sons

History

In 1862 a campaign was begun to establish a public school in the Ryde village and in 1867 a formal application was made to the NSW Government for a public school to be established at Ryde. A local contribution of 100 pounds guaranteed by Messrs J.S. Farnell, E. Drinkwater, G. Wicks, W. Small and J. Devlin was promised towards the cost of a school building. 

The Ryde Public School opened in 1868 in the premises of a former inn (Stanley's Inn) on the corner of Parkes Street (later Blaxland Road) and Tucker Street, a stone building with a timber shingled roof on a 10 acre site, which was purchased for 280 pounds and altered and enlarged to accommodate 3 classrooms and a new teacher's residence. 

Less than ten years later, a new public school, with an adjoining teachers' residence, was opened on the ridge of Pope Street. A local campaign for a new public school building led to the erection in 1877 of a single-storey sandstone building, designed by government architect George Allen Mansfield. It opened in May 1877 with one qualified teacher and two pupil-teachers supervising an average attendance of 113 students in that first year. It was considered "more appropriate than the old premises originally built as a public house." 

Petitions were presented to the Council of Education in 1919 and 1923 which resulted in the erection of brick classrooms to relieve overcrowding.  By 1929, enrolments had risen to 700, and in the same year the primary school was divided into separate boys’ and girls’ departments. In 1934 a new infants school building was constructed. During WWII air raid trenches were dug in the sports ground.

In 1986, a new school hall was built. The first Arbor Day in NSW was held at Ryde Public School in 1890 on the initiative of the Minister for Public Instruction and trees were planted by dignitaries adjacent to the front gate.